Goa woman legislator appointed Parliamentary Secretary

Panaji, July 9 (UNI) Ms Victoria Fernandes, the lone woman legislator re-elected from Santa Cruz constituency in the June 2 elections, has been appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Goa government.

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat administered the oath of office and secrecy to Ms Fernandes at a simple ceremony at the Porvorim Secretariat Complex here today.

She is the second person to have been appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary, the first one being Nilkant Harlankar, elected from Tivim on NCP ticket.

Ms Fernandes, who was the Deputy Speaker in the erstwhile Pratapsinh Rane government, had undertaken fast unto death recently as she was denied a berth in the Cabinet.

After years of service as a social worker, credited with leading women in the historic ''Opinion Poll'' during 1965-67 against merger of Goa with Maharashtra, she joined politics first as an independent but later joined the Congress party.

The 63-year-old lady, the only woman candidate re-nominated by the party after a stiff fight and demonstrations, had retained the seat through a fierce battle against the young Congress rebel Ms Jennifer Monserrate, wife of former minister Atanasio Monserrate in the neighbouring Taleigao constituency.

She withdrew the hunger strike after the Chief Minister assured her of the post besides a financial package for the development of her constituency, which was marked with a huge sum.

UNI