CPM minister heaps praise on Soni

Lauding Union Minister of Tourism Ambika Soni, a close ally of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Mukherjee said: “Soni is the most supportive minister and a guardian to us.” A beaming Soni was quick to return the compliment: “The minister is shy but he is doing a lot of work in the mangrove areas of Sunderbans,” she said. She was referring to the way Mukherjee kept referring questions at the press conference to her, instead of talking about West Bengal.

“I would like to assure the Government and the minister that the Centre will co-operate financially to develop the Sunderbans as an ecological experience. We will collaborate with the state in areas like tea tourism and water tourism,” she said.

The bonhomie emerged at the inaugural function of the 57th Travel & Tourism Fair which has attracted tourism outfits of 22 states and seven countries.

For Mukherjee, it was not the first time that he was following the Chief Minister’s line that the state Government should not go in for any confrontation with the Centre. Earlier, when he was the IT minister, Mukherjee had been proactive in issuing special stickers to vehicles ferrying staff of IT and BPO units during industrial strikes called by CITU, the CPI(M)’s labour arm.