'Jayalalitha was unwell for a year, why raise issue about Parrikar's health'

Defending the continuance of the ailing Manohar Parrikar as the Chief Minister of Goa, Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Monday said J. Jayalalitha continued to be the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu despite being unwell for a year and a half.

"We have elected a chief minister and the CM is doing a good job. Healthwise Jayalalitha was unwell for a year and a half, no one raised an issue. I do not understand why the issue is being raised," Dhavalikar told reporters on the sidelines of a function held for the formal induction of two ministers in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition cabinet, at the Goa Raj Bhavan, .

The Minister, who is a member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, a ruling alliance component, was responding to questions regarding change of leadership, an issue which has hogged the spotlight ever since Parrikar was airlifted to Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer last week.

Dhavalikar expressed confidence that Parrikar would resolve issues confronting the Goa government "one by one".

"He will put things in order one by one. This is the first step (induction of two ministers), then he will allocate portfolios and then other things will follow," Dhavalikar said, adding that dropping of ministers and adding new ones to the state cabinet was the prerogative of the Chief Minister.

--IANS

maya/mag/sed