Panaji, Mar 21: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was sent to the United States of America earlier in the month for treatment of pancreatic cancer, is "responding well".

The CM's personal secretary Rupesh Kamat, who accompanied him to the medical facility in New York, claimed Parrikar has shown signs of improvement in the first health review conducted.

"Further treatment on Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has begun and he is responding well. The next review will be done in two weeks," he told news agency ANI.

A Goa unit BJP leader, who spoke to PTI on the condition of anonymity, said Parrikar is expected to return to India next month.

"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," he said.

Parrikar left for US in the first week of March, after a month-long treatment at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital.

Before leaving, Parrikar had authorised a Cabinet advisory committee comprising of Sudin Dhavalikar (of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party), Francis D'Souza (of the BJP) and Vijai Sardesai (of the Goa Forward Party) to spearhead the governance in the state in his absence.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, while speaking to reporters on Monday, ruled out the possibility of appointing an interim CM in Goa. "Parrikar is the CM and will continue as the CM after he returns. Under his leadership, the achieving development in all sectors," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2018 07:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).