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Ramakant Khalap | |
|---|---|
 Khalap in 2017 | |
| 2ndDeputy Chief Minister of Goa | |
| In office 27 March 1990 – 14 December 1990 | |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 10 May 1996 – 28 February 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Harish Zantye |
| Succeeded by | Ravi Naik |
| Constituency | North Goa |
| Member of theGoa Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 1999–2002 | |
| Preceded by | Sangeeta Parab |
| Succeeded by | Laxmikant Parsekar |
| Constituency | Mandrem |
| In office 1974–1994 | |
| Preceded by | Dayanand Bandodkar |
| Succeeded by | Sangeeta Parab |
| Constituency | Mandrem |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-07-05)5 July 1946 (age 79) |
| Political party | Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party Bharatiya Janata Party Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Nirmala Khalap |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Mandrem, Goa, India |
Ramakant Dattaram Khalap (born 5 August 1946) is an Indian politician.[1] He was a member of the11th Lok Sabha. He is also former deputyChief Minister of Goa.[2][3]
Ramakant Khalap was born on 5 August 1946 inMandrem,Portuguese India to aMarathi couple, Dattaram and Satyabhama Khalap. He worked as a school teacher and later as a college lecturer. After this, he completed a law degree, and soon became a famous and successful lawyer ofGoa.
After the death of thenChief Minister of GoaDayanand Bandodkar, theMaharashtrawadi Gomantak Party put their support behind Khalap to contest the By-Election from theMandrem Assembly seat left vacant by death of Bandodkar. Bhaie (Elder Brother), as Khalap is affectionately known in Goa, served as in his role in theMandrem Assembly seat six times, five of them consecutively and then once more after serving in the eleventh Lok Sabha. Khalap was considered the most popular leader of the common man of Goa after Bhau Bandodkar.[citation needed]
AfterShashikala Kakodkar leftMaharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and joinedIndian National Congress, Khalap became leader ofMaharashtrawadi Gomantak Party inGoa Legislative Assembly. Under his leadership, theMaharashtrawadi Gomantak Party rose in prominence rapidly, winning eighteen seats in the subsequent elections.
As recorded by theSupreme Court of India in the cases Dr.Kashinath Jalmi V/sState of Goa andRavi Naik V/sState of Goa at one timeMaharashtrawadi Gomantak Party had clear majority of 25 MLAs in the 40 memberGoa Legislative Assembly, however by blatant misuse of his powers under the Anti Defection Law and Constitution of India, the thenGovernor of Goa did not make KhalapChief Minister of Goa.[citation needed]
Khalap wasLaw Minister of India. AsLaw Minister he enacted the Arbitration Act of India and drafted amendments toThe Code of Civil Procedure of India and theCode of Criminal Procedures of India. Khalap introduced the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament.
Khalap has beenLeader of Opposition of Goa Assembly, President of theMaharashtrawadi Gomantak Party,Deputy Chief Minister of Goa, Finance Minister of Goa, Minister of Water Resources of Goa, Minister of Social Welfare Department of Goa, Minister for Information Technology and Deputy Chairman of the Goa State Planning Board.
There is a school named after him called Ramakant Khalap High School atMandrem,Goa. He is Chairman of a Multi State Scheduled Co-operative Bank called The Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank of Goa (Bank of Goa). He formedBardez Bazaar, a consumers cooperative society to cater needs of consumers of Goa. He was President of the Goa Cricket Association. Ramakant Khalap is actively involved withKonkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad, Samrat Club,Gomantak Marathi Parishad and Kala Academy Goa. Khalap is also a trustee of the Pravara Medical Trust which runs medical and other colleges at Pravaranagar, Maharashtra.
Khalap has several developmental achievements to his credit. AsDeputy Chief Minister of Goa and Minister of Social Welfare Department he started Dayanand Social Security Scheme of old age pension which he named afterDayanand Bandodkar.
He was instrumental in forming theKonkan Railway Corporation and start theKonkan Railway along with Prof.Madhu Dandawate,George Fernandes and others. He successfully led the pro-railway agitation against the opposition toKonkan Railway inGoa.
When Khalap became MP on the first day of the house itself in a speech on reference to the latePresident of IndiaNeelam Sanjiva Reddy, Khalap demanded that best remembrance for the late President would be completion of a Bridge atDhargal on NH 17 whose foundation stone was laid byNeelam Sanjiva Reddy.
All the Lok Sabha members were so impressed that Khalap was successful in getting completion of two bridges, one on NH 17 atDhargal and another one onChapora river atMandrem. Khalap, later as a Minister inH. D. Deve Gowda Government was instrumental in getting theInternational Airport forGoa atMopa.
As Minister of Water Resources of Goa, Khalap completed River Linkage project, linking all the rivers and water bodies and further brought water of Tillari Irrigation Project to Goa ending water shortage of Goa.
Khalap got created the Information Technology Department for Govt. of Goa and was the first IT Minister of Goa. All the notable work of Goa in IT sector is due to Bhaie, even when he was in opposition, Khalap secured interest of ordinary Goans in every field.
As a strong Marathi supporter Khalap secured interest of Marathi in the language issue as official language of the State of Goa, in the Goa Official Languages Act, though Khalap was leader of opposition at the time and the ruling congress party was in favour ofKonkani. On language issue Khalap is of the opinion thatMarathi,Konkani withDavnagari script andKonkani withRoman script, all three should be official languages of Goa and that primary education should be in mother tongue with one paper ofEnglish.
Khalap's tenure asLaw Minister was so successful that thePramod Mahajan famously said that, he is a member of the single largest party in the parliament and he is in opposition".......And He is Mr. Ramakanth Khalap, he is the only member of his party and he is the Government."This is what democracy in India is!
Khalap is a senior leader ofIndian National Congress and a member ofAll India Congress Committee (AICC). Khalap is also a GPCC Executive Committee member, member of Manifesto Implementation Committee and Spokesman ofGoa Pradesh Congress.
For a short while he joinedBJP when circumstances were such thatBJP rule inGoa was inevitable due to pressure of BJP government at centre. Khalap famously explained it to his supporters as 'Bachenge to aur ladenge'.
Khalap is a freedom fighter who started his political career as an aid to other freedom fighters working for liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule. He is considered a politician of old block, a non-corrupt principled politician. His opponents, though tried to falsely implicate him, on one hand, people of Goa have continued to keep faith in Khalap, on the other hand, those opposing Khalap are themselves found to be charge-sheeted for scams and corruption.[citation needed]
Khalap was also the Chairman of the Goa State Law Commission with Cabinet Minister Rank. As the Chairman of the Law Commission, Goa he drafted bills to make revolutionary changes in Revenue Administration and Revenue Courts in the State of Goa. He also worked on amendment of Portuguese laws of Goa along with other members of the Law Commission.
Khalap is the Founder Chairman of the International Arbitration Centre Goa.
Khalap is aMaratha by caste. He is married to Nirmala Khalap and has three sons, Shriniwas (lawyer) married toShraddha Khalap who contested the2017 Goa Legislative Assembly election onAam Aadmi Party ticket fromMapusa constituency; Nikhilchandra (Civil engineer) married to Pratiksha (a doctor and clinical researcher by profession); and Ashwin (hotelier). Khalap has a granddaughter Anahita and 3 grandsons named Ojas, Jaikeshi and Om.[4]
