Thursday, February 10 2005 10:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Panaji: Declaring that Goa Government would have two Deputy Chief Ministers, one of them from the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) in accordance with the Maharashtra formula, party State president and Tourism Minister Wilfred D'Souza yesterday (Feb 9, 2005) said that the matter had been taken up at the "highest level" and he was bound to be appointed to the post.

"Both our parties, the Congress and the NCP have an alliance at the Centre. When the Congress formed a Government in Goa, party high-command agreed to let me take up a Ministership provided that the Maharashtra formula was followed. My matter was taken up at the highest level. Therefore I am Deputy Chief Minister. I don't know who else has been given been the post," D'Souza said.

"I don't mind sharing it with anyone. Anyway, the post of Deputy Chief Minister is not a constitutional one. The only difference is that they get paid more than a Minister and the perks and staff allotted to them are more," he said.

D'Souza, who took over as Tourism Minister yesterday, said that a notification to the effect had not come out, but "would have to be issued at some stage".

Taking a potshot at Speaker Vishwas Satarkar for "locking up cabins in the legislative Assembly", D'Souza said, "Technically the precincts of the Assembly belongs to the Speaker. Therefore, he can do as he wishes. However the Chief Minister has assured me that we would be moving into our cabins in the old secretariat by Monday (Feb 14, 2005)."

There has been some amount of controversy over the Speaker not yet allotting chambers to the Rane Government, a week after it was sworn in.

On Tuesday (Feb 8, 2005), Chief Minister Rane addressed a press conference from his leader of Opposition chamber and said that his Government would function from the old secretariat building in Panaji.