Will review performance of ministers before Budget: Goa CM

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said he would review the performance of his ministers ahead of the preparation of the state budget. The budget session of the Goa Assembly will be held in February.

In an interview to Doordarshan on the eve of New Year, Sawant said the performance of all ministers would be reviewed to know how much of the funds allocated to each department has been spent. He, however, did not respond to a query on the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle, though he stressed he was not upset with the performance of any of his ministers.

Sawant said he was not comfortable working with some of the allies when he took over as CM following the death of Manohar Parrikar in March this year. "When I took over, there was pressure from certain allies. If I had continued with them, perhaps, I would not have been able to perform for the welfare of the state," he said.

Sawant had dropped three Goa Forward Party ministers, as well as an Independent, from his government after ten Congress MLAs crossed over to the BJP and gave it a majority in the 40-member House. "We could not take any decision in favor of the state until the government achieved stability," he said.

Sawant said Goa was not facing a financial crisis, climbing borrowing was well within limits, though he added that some of the borrowings were to pay loans taken by previous governments. He admitted that the state's revenue had gone down after the closure of the mining sector.

"However, expenses are rising. For example, previously we never had to spend on garbage treatment as we do now," he said...