8 new ministers inducted in Goa cabinet

Digamber Kamat-led Goa cabinet was expanded on Monday with induction of eight more ministers.

Digamber Kamat-led Goa cabinet was expanded on Monday with induction of eight more ministers.

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The four-member cabinet which had given equal representation to all the alliance partners on Monday saw six Congress, one NCP and an independent legislator being sworn in at the Raj Bhavan.

Governor SC Jamir administered oath of secrecy to all the Ministers.

Congress' Dayanand Narvekar, Philip Nery Rodrigues, Pandurang Madkaikar, Joaquim Alemao, Manohar Azgaonkar and Aleixo Sequira along with Fransisco alias Micky Pacheco (NCP) and Vishwajeet Rane (independent) were the new faces in the Cabinet.
Earlier, three legislators Ravi Naik (Congress), Jose Philip D'souza (NCP) and Ramakrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar (MGP) were sworn along with Kamat.

"I will declare the portfolio either this evening or tomorrow," Kamat told reporters soon after the swearing in.
Except Vishwajeet, son of Goa Speaker Pratapsingh Rane, all other inducted legislators have held ministerial posts in earlier Cabinets. Sequira is the only MLA who was not in the Pratapsingh Rane cabinet.

Much awaited expansion left lone Congress lady legislator Victoria Fernandes fuming as she was denied the cabinet berth.
"This is a grave injustice to women.... I am the lone lady legislator and even Congress President Sonia Gandhi had assured me a ministerial berth," Fernandes, who resorted to hunger-strike just few minutes before swearing in told reporters.