Rane strips Ramakrishna Dhavlikar of his PWD portfolio

Panaji, Feb 4 (UNI) Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane has at last stripped the lone MGP (Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party) coalition partner in his ministry Ramakrishna Dhavlikar of his PWD portfolio on the directive of the Congress High Command.

Confirming this here today, Mr Rane told UNI that he would hold the PWD portfolio in addition to others on hand. He had not yet decided whether to allocate it to any of the cabinet colleagues or hold it himself throughout.

With this, Mr Dhavlikar has to content himself with the portfolios of Cooperation, Archieves, Archaeology and Museums.

The process was delayed as Governor S C Jamir was away in Nagaland and arrived today.

The party highcommand acted on repeated representations of the GPCC against Dhavlikar, who the workers said, was using the portfolio against the Congress workers. They had even sought his removal from the ministry.

He was however not removed as former minister Atanasio Monserrate threatened to resign from the party along with four others including two ministers, which may lead to a crisis before the general elections of the 40-member Legislative Assembly, which is due in May this year.

Commenting on the development, BJP opposition leader and former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar under whose government Dhavlikar held the same portfolio, said, ''It was too late.'' He compared the functioning of Dhavikar to a ripe mango that fell from the tree after its entire pulp and juice was totally sucked by a bird like the minister.

Dhavlikar represents Maharashtra Gomantakwadi Party (MGP), a coalition partner of the Congress in the Rane-led government. The charge against him was that he had been working against the interests of the Congress workers while benefitting his own partymen.

The party was also readying itself to field some candidates against the Congress in the coming elections including in Ponda against the very GPCC president and former Chief Minister Ravi Naik.

UNI