CAC not a solution, it has limited powers: Ramkrishna Dhavalikar

PANAJI: Forming a cabinet advisory committee (CAC) may not be the answer to improving administration in the state, as a CAC has limited powers, said PWD minister and MGP leader Ramkrishna Dhavalikar.
Speaking to TOI , Dhavalikar said, there is no meaning in haggling over chief ministership when the state is short on funds due to the ban on iron ore mining in Goa.

"The chief minister knows best how to improve the administration in the state and he will decide what means to use to achieve that. Certain decisions cannot be taken by a CAC," he said, even as speculations continue on whether another CAC would be formed, after it was announced that chief minister Manohar Parrikar would continue to lead the government, while he undergoes treatment at AIIMS in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment.

The PWD minister said he believes that handing charge of portfolios is better from an administrative point of view and administration will improve post the inauspicious period of pitru paksha, which ends on October 8, following which the CM is expected to distribute most of the 26 portfolios he holds.

He said Parrikar wants to keep only any two of the major portfolios with him and all the rest will be distributed among the other ministers. But before allocating his portfolios, Parrikar will speak to each MLA, the minister said.

While the MGP had also propped him as a candidate to take charge as CM, in case Parrikar stepped down, Dhavalikar said, "As long as mining operations in Goa are shut, there is no meaning in fighting for leadership. As a MGP leader, I request leaders across parties to work together so mining operations begin again in the state. We can see how bad the condition of the mining dependants is today."

The PWD minister said, "We have lost revenue of Rs 3,500 crore with mining operations shutting. This has been the state for the last three years. There is bound to be a financial crunch as mining was a major revenue source for the state."

The MGP leader admitted to some dissatisfaction between MLAs after two new ministers were inducted into the cabinet in place of the two ailing ministers. But, Dhavalikar said, there is no further scope for additions to the cabinet as the party leading the government - BJP - itself has been left with only five top positions due to coalition considerations.

"There is dissatisfaction because some have not been inducted as ministers. How will they become ministers in a coalition government? When allies supported BJP, their demand was that their MLAs should be given ministership and accordingly they were given. BJP was left with seven posts, of which two were of the speaker and deputy speaker. The rest of the MLAs need to be patient," said Dhavalikar.

The MGP leader said MLAs are in a much better position today than when he was first elected, but yet they tend to be easily disgruntled.

"Those who have been elected more than once and are doing good work have to wait patiently. They will get their chance. The first two-and-a-half years after being elected I did not get any post. As I was in the opposition, Luizinho (Faleiro) was the CM then, and our works would not be done by the Congress government. After that I got EDC that is barely for six months and then we immediately went to polls. This was the situation then. Now-a-days MLAs want to become ministers as soon as they get elected as MLAs, which is very bad," he said.