PANAJI
The Goa cabinet on Thursday decided to confer lifelong 'cabinet status' to former chief minister Pratapsing Rane in recognition of his 50 continuous years in the legislative assembly, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.
Sawant said, the decision to grant him lifelong cabinet status was taken in recognition of his service to the State of Goa.
"He has held the topmost positions in the state as Chief Minister and Speaker," Sawant said.
The senior Rane was first elected to the Goa legislative assembly from the then Sattari Constituency in 1972 on the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. Since then he has won successive elections until 2017 and rose to serve as cabinet minister and multiple stints as chief minister in the last five decades.
He has served as chief minister for nearly 16 years in multiple terms between 1980 and 2007. He also had stints as Speaker and also Leader of Opposition in the Goa legislative assembly.
