WARNING TO HIGH COMMAND NOT TO DROP MINISTERS BY 8 MLA'S

MARGAO: Eight MLAs and ministers of the state government held a late-night meeting on Wednesday at the residence of GPCC general secretary, Mr Vijay Sardessai.

The PWD Minister, Mr Churchill Alemao, the Urban Development Minister, Mr Joaquim Alemao, the Panchayat Minister, Mr Manohar Azgaonkar, the Revenue Minister, Mr Jose Philip D’Souza, the Education Minister, Mr Atanasio Monserrate, the Tourism Minister, Mr Nilkanth Halarnkar and MLAs, Mr Chandrakant Kavlekar and Mr Alex Reginaldo Lourenco attended the meeting.

The meeting was a show of solidarity of the group and meant to be a warning to the high commands of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party not to drop any present ministers, especially the NCP ministers.

The meeting was held after hints were thrown by the national general secretary of NCP’s women’s wing, Ms Bharati Chavan who came down to Goa on Tuesday to take part in the function held to celebrate the birthday of NCP national president, Mr Sharad Pawar.

Mr Churchill Alemao told the media that they would not allow the dropping of present NCP ministers as "they are doing good work." The present government has two NCP ministers, the Revenue Minister, Mr Jose Philip D’Souza and the Tourism Minister, Mr Nilkant Halarnkar. Mr D’Souza said, "We are united. We will not allow any of our members to be touched." He said that if any of them is dropped, it would risk the continuity of the government. Mr Kavlekar came and left early after attending the meet. According to sources, there could be other MLAs also who are supporting the group.

Mr D’Souza has been under pressure after his alleged assault on ex-tourism minister, Mr Franciso Xavier Pacheco and was stripped of the presidentship of the NCP party. There were also rumours that he was to be dropped from the cabinet. Earlier, Mr Pacheco was dropped from the cabinet after the death of his "friend" Nadia Torrado and he has been pushing to regain his ministerial spot.(NT)