Ramakant Dattaram Khalap (born 5 August 1946) is an Indian advocate and politician who was a member of the 11th Lok Sabha. He is also former deputy Chief Minister of Goa.[1][2]
Ramakant Khalap was born on 5 August 1946 in Mandrem,Portuguese India to a Marathi couple,Dattaram and Satyabhama Khalap. He worked as a school teacher and later as a college lecturer. After this,he completed a law degree.[citation needed]
Khalap has been Leader of Opposition of Goa Assembly,President of the Maharashtrawadi 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 at Mandrem,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 formed Bardez 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 with Konkan 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. As Deputy Chief Minister of Goa and Minister of Social Welfare Department he started Dayanand Social Security Scheme of old age pension which he named after Dayanand Bandodkar.
When Khalap became MP on the first day of the house itself in a speech on reference to the late President of IndiaNeelam Sanjiva Reddy,Khalap demanded that best remembrance for the late President would be completion of a Bridge at Dhargal on NH 17 whose foundation stone was laid by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy.
All the Lok Sabha members were so impressed that Khalap was successful in getting completion of two bridges,one on NH 17 at Dhargal and another one on Chapora river at Mandrem. Khalap,later as a Minister in H. D. Deve Gowda Government was instrumental in getting the International Airport for Goa at Mopa.
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 of Konkani. On language issue Khalap is of the opinion that Marathi,Konkani with Davnagari script and Konkani with Roman script,all three should be official languages of Goa and that primary education should be in mother tongue with one paper of English.
Khalap's tenure as Law Minister was so successful that the Pramod 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!
For a short while he joined BJP when circumstances were such that BJP rule in Goa 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.
Personal life
Khalap is a Maratha by caste. He is married to Nirmala Khalap and has three sons,Shriniwas (lawyer) married to Shraddha Khalap who contested the 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly election on Aam Aadmi Party ticket from Mapusa constituency;Nikhilchandra (Civil engineer) married to Pratiksha (a doctor and clinical researcher by profession);and Ashwin (hotelier).[3]
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