Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant led cabinet has granted approval to the appointment of independent staff for lifetime cabinet minister Pratapsingh Rane
“Cabinet has approved the appointment of Independent Staff for Lifetime Cabinet Minister Pratap Singh Rane,” said CM Sawant.
He further said that Pratapsingh Rane will be getting all the benefits of the cabinet post.
Chief Minister, however, refused to comment on the petition filed by Adv Aires Rodrigues, challenging the constitutional validity of the notification bestowing lifetime cabinet status on former chief minister Pratapsingh Rane.
“Our government has decided to grant lifelong Cabinet status to the senior-most legislator, Shri Pratapsingh Rane, for his great service to the State of Goa. He has held the topmost positions as the Chief Minister and Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly,” CM Sawant had said.
The 91st Amendment to the Constitution, which restricts the size of the cabinet, was to prevent the installation of jumbo cabinets and the resultant drain on the exchequer. Conferring, the status of a cabinet minister on Pratapsingh Rane defeated this purpose and was a backdoor entry in willful disobedience of the mandate of Law”.
Article 164 of the Constitution permits that the strength of the Goa cabinet cannot exceed 12 ministers; Rodrigues, in his petition, has submitted that conferring Cabinet status on Pratapsingh Rane means the strength of the cabinet stands at 13, exceeding the number mandated by law.
