Goa min asks colleague to quit over Russian rape

Panaji, Jan 28: Reacting to the rape of a nine-year-old Russian girl, Goa Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco has slammed home minister Ravi Naik, saying that ministers who are unable to resign the portfolios to resign.

"Ministers, who cannot handle their portfolios, should give them up," Pacheco said in a veiled attack to Naik.

Pacheco, said that it was time for the state goverment to act against those who fail in fulfilling their duties, as it has put the state in a bad light.

"By now the Congress high command should take action against its ministers who fail to deliver," he said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister.

Pacheco said his appeal to the CM Digambar Kamat to convene a meeting between the home ministry and tourism ministry to discuss issues on tourist safety has fallen on deaf ears.

"I had moved a confidential file to the chief minister calling for an urgent meeting between home ministry and tourism ministry officials in his presence. But there was no response from the chief minister's office," he said.

Expressing his concern over the upsurge in rape crimes, he said that the state should not be allowed to be defamed because of few irresponsible ministers.

"Such incidents are an insult to Goa. Why should the state get a bad name only because of the inefficiency of a few ministers?" Pacheco said.

The case has also been taken up by Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja who had sought a report on Wednesday, Jan 27.

Pacheco has exchanged several bitter words with Naik over the safety issue of tourist in the past, for fear of Goa being labeled as a rape capital.

OneIndia News