Utt Goenkara demands withdrawal of Rane's excessive security

Panaji, Aug 9 (UNI) A local NGO today demanded that the Goa government should immediately withdraw the ''illegal and unprecedented'' police security given to state health minister Vishwajeet Rane.

A spokesman for Utt Goenkara said the state exchequer should not bear the burden of the excessive security bestowed on a minister who feels threatened by land-sharks due to his ''personal misdeeds'' and deals that may have gone sour in connection with the now scrapped Goa Regional plan 2011.

''Goa Chief minister Digamber Kamat should tell his Health Minister, Mr Rane to engage private security at his own cost and not burden Goa's 'Aam Aadmi' with this unwarranted financial burden,'' spokesman Aires Rodrigues said.

He also pointed out that while other cabinet ministers have a security cover of five police personnel, Mr Vishwajeet Rane enjoys a police cover of 17 personnel, besides two escort police jeeps at all times.

''This unofficial Z-type security was bestowned on Rane from August 3 without the requisite approval from the government committee. It is a cruel irony that poor patients at the Goa medical college were made to pay even for Crocin tablets, while lakhs are squandered to give security to a minister,'' he rued.

UNI