Panaji, May 29: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who was flown to the United States to reportedly seek treatment for pancreatic illness, will return home by the end of June. Goa Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Tuesday informed that Parrikar, who is unwell and undergoing treatment in the US since March 7, will return home in the next month. "The chief minister will be in Goa by the end of June and the current government will complete its tenure of five years under his leadership," Dhavalikar said.

Parrikar had complained of stomach pain on 14 February and was rushed to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near Panaji. He was discharged on February 22 and presented Budget in the Goa Assembly on the same day. Later, he was again admitted to Lilavati Hospital on March 5, from where he was taken to the US. A cabinet advisory committee, consisting of senior ministers, has been authorised to take decisions in his absence.

Dhavalikar, a senior minister, is part of a three-member Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC) that was formed to run the government in Parrikar's absence. Meanwhile, Francis D’Souza of the BJP and Vijai Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party are its other two members. According to a report by PTI, while speaking about the CAC, he said that a decision to extend its term beyond May 31 would be taken by Parrikar. "Whatever the chief minister decides about the CAC would be acceptable to the cabinet," Dhavalikar added. He said it was not the right time to talk about chief ministership.

The senior Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party leader was quoted by PTI saying, “I was only responding to a question from the media. I had not raised the issue on my own. I had said that if people like my work, they will make me the chief minister someday”.

Earlier in March, a senior BJP leader had said that Parrikar was “responding positively” to the medical treatment in the US and is expected to return to India in the second week of April. “Parrikar is responding positively to the treatment in the US. His all parameters are normal and he would be taking treatment for another fortnight there before coming back to India in the second week of April,” the BJP Goa unit leader said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2018 06:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).