Digambar Kamat gets PWD as Goa CM Pramod Sawant allocates portfolios

Digambar Kamat, a former Congress chief minister between 2007 and 2012, was inducted in the state cabinet last week following the resignation of Aleixo Sequeira

PANAJI: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday allocated portfolios to newly inducted ministers Digambar Kamat and Ramesh Tawadkar. Kamat has been allocated the department of public works that was held by the chief minister while Tawadkar got the portfolios held by former minister Govind Gaude, including Sports, Art and Culture and Tribal Affairs.

Digambar Kamat and Pramod Sawant. (File Photo)

The chief minister has also reshuffled portfolios among other ministers with Subhash Phaldessai being awarded the department of drinking water, which was bifurcated from the public works department.

Kamat, a former Congress chief minister between 2007 and 2012, was inducted in the state cabinet last week following the resignation of Aleixo Sequeira, who held the portfolios of environment, law & judiciary, captain of ports among others.

Kamat has inherited the Captain of Ports portfolio from Sequeira and in addition has been allocated the portfolio of public works, a department that was held by the chief minister ever since Nilesh Cabral, who previously held the portfolio, resigned to make way for Sequeira to be inducted in the cabinet.

Ramesh Tawadkar, who resigned as Speaker before being inducted in the council of ministers, was allocated the portfolios of tribal affairs, art & culture and sports & youth Affairs, all that were held by Govind Gaude prior to his dismissal. For Tawadkar, these are the same portfolios he had held during his previous stint as a minister between 2012 and 2017.

Kamat and Sequeira were among eight Congress legislators who defected to the BJP in 2022. The reshuffle marks Kamat’s return to the cabinet for the first time since 2012, when he was chief minister

Unallocated portfolios, including law and environment, will remain with the chief minister.