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New Goa CM's priorities:
Reducing expenditure, raising revenues

Reducing expenditure drastically and taking measures to generate revenue are the top priorities spelt out by Manohar Parrikar, the new chief minister of Goa.

The first chief minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the tourist state assured of maintaining the existing communal harmony in the state, countering fears expressed in this regard by opposition members.

Governor Mohammed Fazal on Tuesday administered the oath of secrecy to a 14-member council of ministers, including Pandurang Raut of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

All the eight Congress legislators, who had defected to the BJP last week, have been made ministers.

While former opposition leader Ravi Naik has been made the deputy chief minister, other Congressmen inducted in the ministry are Ramakant Khalap, Sheikh Hassan, Prakash Velip and Sanjay Bandekar and first-timers Babu Azgaonkar, Philip Neri Rodrigues and Jose Philip D'Souza.

BJP veterans Digambar Kamat, Suresh Amonkar and Prakash Fadte have been included in the ministry and so has Ramrao Desai, the only first-time minister from the 'original' BJP. Parrikar himself is holding a ministerial position for the first time in his political career.

Subhash Velingkar, the local Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh general secretary, was the first person to greet Parrikar after the swearing-in ceremony, followed by the local representative of Archbishop Raul Gonsalves.

The new chief minister told journalists the governor is satisfied that the BJP-led coalition government enjoys a majority in the assembly. At present, Parrikar claims to enjoy the support of 26 in the 40-member House.

As the first step towards reducing expenditure on his jumbo cabinet, Parrikar said he has withdrawn all the Balenos given to ministers stating that they would not get anything beyond Maruti Esteems. Total expenditure on the cabinet would also be reduced by 20 per cent from the next fiscal year, he added.

Referring to the four members from the Goan People's Congress, who split from Sardinha's group on Monday to support the BJP-led government, Parrikar said the party had not applied its mind on admitting them into the BJP.

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Sardinha submits resignation to governor
Sardinha fears communalisation of Goa

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