Vijai Sardesai, Vishwajit Rane vow to protect Goa government

MARGAO: A new kind of bonhomie between TCP minister Vijai Sardesai and health minister Vishwajit Rane was witnessed at the function held to inaugurate the state-of-the-art food testing laboratory set up by the Export Inspection Council under the Union ministry of commerce and industry on Sunday.

The two cabinet colleagues, who were engaged in a war-of-words over the issue of banning fish imports in the state not long ago, publicly vowed to remain united to thwart any threat to the survival of the state government. While Rane belongs to the BJP, Sardesai heads the GFP, a coalition partner of the BJP-led government.

Rane, speaking on the occasion, called Sardesai “a development-oriented minister striving to provide a new kind of orientation to his constituency”. “And when one brings about development, there are bound to be opponents,” he said.

‘Will take steps in interest of Goa’

“Therefore it is important that we both stay united. Whatever cooperation he (Sardesai) needs will be given to him by me and my departments,” Rane said, adding that he and Sardesai would “always remain united in Goa’s politics” and that both of them would “take steps in the interest of Goa”.

Sardesai, in his address, blamed the Congress leaders for creating “artificially induced fear” of formalin among the people and termed it a “challenge” to allay the fear. “We will face all challenges with courage and wisdom. We won’t retreat...We (referring to Rane) are GenNext ministers; we will overcome all new challenges together, including that of threat to government’s survival. Kosle-i guddolesao korun sorkar tigoupachi capacity amkam asa. (We have the capacity to resort to whatever manipulations needed in order to save the government.) If the people want this government to survive, we have the capacity to go to any level,” Sardesai said.

The two spoke spoke ahead of the Union minister of commerce and industry Suresh Prabhu, who inaugurated the laboratory.