NT Staff Reporter
Panaji Jan 27: In a sudden political development, the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar today stripped off Mr Atanasio Monserrate of the important town and country planning portfolio leaving minor portfolios of provedoria, environment and science and technology.
Besides, the government also announced that the all planning and development authorities (PDAs) will be scrapped within a week.
The development comes just two weeks after Mr Monserrate has appointed his wife, Ms Jennifer Monserrate as the chairperson of the Panaji PDA and shifted his trusted lieutenant and one-time personnel assistant, Mr John Rodrigues to the Ponda PDA.
The Chief Minister however, kept the town and country planning portfolio with him. The notification of allotment of the portfolios was issued late this evening by the under-secretary (general administration), Mr B S Kudalkar after getting the approval of the Governor.
Apart from stripping TCPD portfolio from Mr Monserrate, no other ministers� portfolios have been touched. The political observers interpret this action of the Chief Minister as sending the signal that he was unhappy over the functioning of Mr Monserrate and handling of his ministry. Earlier in the day, Mr Parrikar told reporters that since the government has completed two and half years he had evaluated the performance of his ministers and accordingly allotted the government business to them. He said no ministers should feel that any injustice has been done, while re-shuffling the government business.
During last few months there was a talk in the political circle about differences cropping up between the Chief Minister and Mr Monserrate over the manner in which he was handling the town and country planning department. However, Mr Monserrate has denied any differences with the Chief Minister over any issue.
Sources also maintain that some senior BJP leaders had expressed their displeasure to the Chief Minister over the manner Mr Monserrate installed his wife as the chairperson of the Panaji PDA.
Sources said the opposition was growing since the town and country planning department was bringing villages under the PDAs. The opposition Congress has also raised objections for extending the PDAs to the villages and demanded that such things should be stopped.
The government spokesman tonight said that the government has decided to scrap all PDAs. The spokesman said that the PDAs were primarily responsible for planning and development of urban areas and that the government will keep the PDA in operation only if required in urban areas.
The spokesman said the rural areas will not be brought under the PDAs and those villages, which are brought currently will be deleted within a week.
Mr Monserrate, who was elected on the UGDP ticket from Taleigao constituency backed the Parrikar government since it came to power and he was holding town and country planning portfolio.
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