RANE UPSET AS SR OFFICIALS NOT PRESENT DURING CHIPLUN VISIT

MUMBAI: A video clip of Union minister of micro, small and medium enterprises Narayan Rane giving an earful to a government official because his seniors were not present when the former visited flood-hit Chiplun of Konkan has gone viral.

Rane, who was inducted in the Union cabinet early this month, visited flood-ravaged Raigad and Ratnagiri on Sunday along with leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar. In the video, Rane is seen taking to district collector BN Patil for his failure to appoint a senior official to accompany him even as government officials were busy with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s tour.

When Rane was told the officials were busy with Thackeray, he reportedly shouted, “Do not tell me about the CM, I do not care about him. The sub-divisional officer says he is with the guardian minister, you are saying you are with the CM… I have tolerated enough… You are saying the CEO (of district council) is deputed with me...i don’t see him anywhere. Where is he?”

During his subsequent press conference in Ratnagiri, Rane said, “There is no Cm...administration cannot be seen anywhere and everything has collapsed…cm has stepped out of Matoshree only after he realised that I am on Ratnagiri tour. He did not get a helicopter for four days of the flood. He brought bad luck to the state ever since he took over.”

Sena leader and former Union minister Arvind Sawant condemned Rane’s behaviour. “It is not the person but the post which needs to be respected. But then, we cannot expect decent behaviour from Rane,” he said.

Congress leader Sachin Sawant said such behaviour demoralises the officials undertaking relief work. “Rane is a senior leader and Union minister,; we expect more responsible behaviour from him,” said Sawant.

Significantly, the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party earlier said politicians should avoid visiting flood-affected areas as local administrations need to focus on relief work.