Goa Govt expanded with induction of Rodrigues

The Cong-led Govt was on Saturday expanded with the induction of independent MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues as a minister.

The Congress-led coalition government of Goa was on Saturday expanded with the induction of independent legislator Filipe Neri Rodrigues as a cabinet minister.

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Rodrigues, who had his membership of the legislative assembly revived through a Bombay High Court order earlier this week, was administered the oath of office by Governor SC Jamir at the Raj Bhavan.

The court quashed an order of former speaker Vishwas Satarkar disqualifying Rodrigues, the legislator from Velim, stating that the order is wholly irrational, completely unreasonable and passed in bad faith.

He was disqualified in February during an acrimonious tug-of-war for power between the erstwhile Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and the Congress-led Opposition.

Rodrigues' induction into the cabinet raises the strength of the Pratapsinh Rane Ministry to 12.