Ministers others threaten to topple Goa government

PANAJI - Five ministers in the Congress-led coalition in Goa Friday boycotted a cabinet meeting and threatened to topple the ruling alliance in the budget session this month if their demands are not met.

The five, part of a seven-member pressure group, said that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat should not expect their support for the financial bill if he does not accede to “certain” of their demands.

The group comprises Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza, Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco and Nilkant Halarnkar - all from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Transport Minister Sudin Dhavlikar and his legislator brother Deepak of MGP, Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane (independent) and Education Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate.

Two days ago (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar conveyed our demands to the chief minister and gave him two days to get back to us. The two days have passed and there is no response, Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, spokesman for the group, told reporters.

He refused to spell out the nature of the demands made by them.

In protest we decided to boycott the cabinet meeting today (Friday). If the chief minister does not get back to us, he should not expect our support for the financial bill in the assembly, Dhavalikar said.

Goa’s 40-member assembly comprises of 18 legislators from the Congress, BJP (14), NCP (3), MGP (2), unattached UGDP (1) and two independent legislators.