PANAJI
Goa Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Saturday said that a Cabinet reshuffle is the prerogative of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who will take the decision in this regard, days after he had made comments that a Cabinet reshuffle and its composition will be decided within a fortnight.
None-the-less Tawadkar told reporters at St Cruz on Saturday that he had discussed the issue of arrogant ministers with the Chief Minister and given him a list.
“Six ministers have become arrogant and should be removed from the Cabinet”, Tawadkar said in an interview to a news channel recently.
On Saturday when asked about his "arrogant ministers" comment, Tawadkar said he has discussed the issue with Sawant. "Everyone knows which ministers are arrogant" he added.
Earlier this week, Tawardkar while speaking to media in his native Canacona constituency had said that a reshuffle in the State Cabinet will be finalized in the next fortnight.
He had also said that the names of MLAs Nilesh Cabral, Digambar Kamat, Sankalp Amonkar, Delilah Lobo and Michael Lobo may be considered for ministerial posts.
When media persons tried to press Tawadkar to comment on the issue while in St Cruz on Saturday, however, he sought to play down the matter saying it is a matter for the Chief Minister to handle.
"The Chief Minister will decide who to keep and who to remove. Also, when to make the changes, he will decide," Tawadkar said.
"The names of those I mentioned have been appearing frequently in the media. That is why I said that their names could be considered," Tawadkar said.
Meanwhile, Tawadkar's sudden public comments on a cabinet reshuffle has caused a stir of sorts among ministers and on the other hand, raised the hopes of some MLAs who have been eyeing a cabinet berth for the last couple of years.
Also, BJP state president Damu Naik has submitted the report on performance of ministers and MLAs to the party's national general secretary B L Santosh during the latter's recent visit to the State which added credence to Tawadkar's comments on an imminent cabinet reshuffle.
While party sources have for long been saying that a rejig of Sawant's team is very likely and the chief minister himself also confirming it on multiple occasions in the past few months, the timing of move continues to remain a suspense.
