I am extremely comfortable working with Manohar Parrikar, and I feel that he gives enough freedom.

What are your views on the 100 days of Parrikar-led government?

Within these 100 hundred days, the government has been taking a good shape. Under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar every department is becoming vibrant once again. Everybody is working with a vision and a focus. Everybody has been given freedom to function within a certain framework and to draw up an agenda for the portfolio with a vision document of the portfolio for next five years. And I feel that we have young dynamic Ministers in the government who are working together as a team and trying to deliver efficient services to the people of Goa. Every Minister is working hard to bring in efficiency and transparency in the working of his department.

How do rate the performance of this government on a scale of 1 to 10?

I feel the performance has been pretty good and everybody is aggressive. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the government 9 out of 10. Yes, there are certain things somewhere which maybe going slow, but then, within the first 100 days it takes time to get settled and understand every Minister’s functioning, putting systems in place, drawing up a plan and framing timelines.

Are you comfortable working with the BJP government?

I am extremely comfortable working with Manohar Parrikar, and I feel that he gives enough freedom. In case if there is anything, we discuss mutually and sort out all the issues. Till date there has not been any point of friction on any front because we work with an open mind. We follow a pattern of making presentations and trying to understand issues. The issues are discussed through a PowerPoint presentation and we try to find a solution and resolve them to take things forward. So the question of being uncomfortable working with the BJP does not arise at all.

Compared to your tenure as Health Minister in Congress government, do you think you have more pace now?

Definitely, the way of functioning will be more systematic and moving forward because I am already aware of various other initiatives and various functioning of the department and what is required and how the department should work based on my past experience. I feel that since I know the portfolio, it will be easier for me to work and take things forward.

People have been raising questions about the stability of this government. Your comments?

The government is extremely stable and everybody wants the leadership of Manohar Parrikar to take things forward. We are also well supported by the central government which is providing a lot of funds for the government schemes to the government of Goa. This coalition government is here to stay and take things forward.

What are the few things that you have learnt from Parrikar?

I have worked with Manohar Parrikar earlier when I was the chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC). I know his style of working and I have understood more or less the framework in which he works and that’s how we need to incorporate ourselves and adjust to that particular style of functioning.

Team TNV