INDUCTION OF MICKKY WILL BE DECIDED AFTER CHRISTMAS

PANJIM: The Congress high command would take a decision on the request made by its alliance partner the Nationalist Congress Party in the state on the inclusion of its legislator, Mr Francisco Xavier Pacheco alias Mickky, in the cabinet headed by Mr Digambar Kamat only after the Christmas celebrations.

The all-India Congress committee general-secretary in-charge of Goa, Mr B K Hariprasad said that he would come down to Goa to resolve the issue after the Christmas. He also said that he could hold discussion on the issue with the AICC president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, because of her pre-occupations.

The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat informed that he was waiting for the party high command decision on inclusion of the NCP legislator in his cabinet, even as efforts were being made by the Congress party to persuade the Congress legislators no to resort to any hard action.

The Chief Minister further stated that he has informed the Congress high command about the opposition to inclusion of Mr Pacheco by the 10 Congress legislators, including five ministers, and their threat to bring his government down in case the party agreed to instruction from the NCP high command over the issue of Mr Pacheco.

Mr Kamat also said that he had held meeting with the group within the Congress opposed to the re-inclusion of Mr Pacheco in the cabinet. He also said that he called on the Governor, Dr Shivinder Singh Sidhu and apprised him of the political developments in the state.

The Goa pradesh Congress committee president, Mr Subhash Shirodkar said the issue of the opposition by the 10 Congress legislators was discussed at a meeting at Chief Minister’s official residence on Thursday. He informed that the group put forth their views and the reasons why they were opposing the re-entry of Mr Pacheco in the cabinet.

Mr Shirodkar further said that he too has informed the situation in the state and in the party to the Congress party general-secretary, Mr B K Hariprasad, and was awaiting the response. He said the issue would be discussed by Mr Hariprasad with the Congress president and get back to the state leaders.

Meanwhile, the NCP state president, Mr Surendra Sirsat said that the party has informed the Chief Minister about its decision to include Mr Pacheco in the cabinet. He said that it has also been informed to Mr Kamat that the Revenue Minister, Mr Jose Philip D’Souza should be dropped from the cabinet to make way for inclusion of Mr Pacheco.

Mr Sirsat further said that his party was waiting for response from the Chief Minister to its request on changes that the party has sought in its quota in the state cabinet. As regards to Mr Nilkanth Halarnkar (the Tourism Minister), he said that a decision would be taken at a later date. He said that his party was ready to wait for some more time.

Other sources in the party said the patience of its leaders on the issue was running out and that the party might take a unilateral decision which could be very harsh. Prodded to spell out what could be the next move the leaders could exercise, the leaders said the party might pull out of the government and extend outside support and in extreme cases it could seat in the opposition.