PM Modi expresses grief over demise of Goa Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik | India News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of Goa Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, and said he will be remembered as an experienced administrator who enriched the state’s development trajectory.

Naik, 79, suffered cardiac arrest at his hometown, 30 km away from Panaji, sources said. The former chief minister was shifted to a private hospital in Ponda town where he was declared dead around 1 am on Wednesday.

Condoling his death, PM Modi in a post on X said, “Saddened by the passing away of Shri Ravi Naik Ji, Minister in the Goa Government. He will be remembered as an experienced administrator and dedicated public servant who enriched Goa’s development trajectory.” 

 
“He was particularly passionate about empowering the downtrodden and marginalised. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti,” the PM said.

Naik was a seven-term MLA (six times from Ponda assembly constituency and once from Marcaim assembly constituency) and represented parties including the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Congress, and the BJP over the years.

He was elected to the state legislative assembly for the first time from Ponda constituency in 1984 on an MGP ticket and successfully contested the 1989 election from that party in Marcaim assembly seat.

Naik got elected from Ponda assembly constituency consistently in 1999, 2002, 2007 and 2017 on the Congress ticket and in 2022 on the BJP ticket.

He was twice the chief minister of the coastal state, the first time from January 1991 to May 1993, leading a coalition government of the Progressive Democratic Front.

In 1994, he became the shortest-serving chief minister of Goa. His tenure lasted just six days, from April 2 to 8 that year.

Naik was also a Member of Parliament from North Goa in 1998 as a Congress candidate.