Pratapsingh Rane, former Goa chief minister and Congress veteran, was accorded permanent status of a cabinet for his service to the coastal state.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant said the decision to accord him the honour was taken as Rane has completed 50 years as a legislator in the Goa Assembly during the current tenure. Rane, also a former speaker, currently represents the Poriem Assembly segment as a Congress MLA.
Sawant said the state cabinet had resolved that those persons who have completed 50 years as MLA, and were former chief ministers or former speakers, would be given such a status in the future.
The move comes days after Rane's son, Vishwajit, who is in charge of the state's health ministry, said he would defeat his 11-time MLA father by 11,000 votes, following which the Congress announced the senior Rane's name from Poriem again.
The 87-year-old MLA had been the longest-serving chief minister (16 years) having had multiple terms till 2007 on different occasions.
Taking to Twitter, Vishwajit said, “I am grateful to the Hon'ble Chief Minister @DrPramodPSawant and the entire cabinet for according a lifetime cabinet status to my father Shri Pratapsingh Raoji Rane. There is no greater way to honour his 50 years of public service as Chief Minister, Speaker and MLA.”
“This is a very special gesture. I thank Hon'ble CM @DrPramodPSawant for having conferred this recognition on my father. On behalf of the people of Sattari and Usgao, I express my gratitude to the Hon'ble Chief Minister and the entire cabinet,” he said in another tweet.
{{/usCountry}}“This is a very special gesture. I thank Hon'ble CM @DrPramodPSawant for having conferred this recognition on my father. On behalf of the people of Sattari and Usgao, I express my gratitude to the Hon'ble Chief Minister and the entire cabinet,” he said in another tweet.
{{/usCountry}}(With inputs from agencies)