Goa Cabinet: Sawant sticks to Parrikar-formula

Panaji, March 22 (IANS) Following his meeting with top BJP leaders in New Delhi on Friday, Goa's new Chief Minister Pramod Sawant allocated portfolios to his 11 cabinet ministers -- retaining their earlier ministries -- sticking to his predecessor Manohar Parrikar's formula.

The notification allotting portfolios was issued late on Friday by the state government's General Administration Department.

Sawant holds key portfolios of Home, Finance, Personnel, Vigilance, General Administration and others held by Parrikar, who died on March 17. 

Key allies Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party was re-allotted Pubic Works Department, Transport and River Navigation; while Vijai Sardesai of the Goa Forward has been re-allotted Town and Country Planning, Agriculture, among other portfolios.

Earlier, Sawant who was in the national capital, paid courtesy calls to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

Gadkari had played a key role in the formation of the new BJP-led coalition government with Sawant at the helm, with the Union Minister camping in Goa for more than 24 hours negotiating with allied political parties to form a government with the Bharatiya Janata Party.