He was speaking to the press here today. Security would be given to SSI in current era of liberalisation, he said and assured that the ministry would act as a watchdog for the industries.

He strongly defended the Union Government's recent insurance regulatory policy where, he pointed out, the foreign investment was 26 percent and that would lead to competition resulting in good services and relations between the customer and the company.

Vikhe Patil said that resource mobilisation would lead to the welfare of the country. He stressed that the country, in the age of liberalisation, was competing with the world.

Regarding the development of the district, Vikhe Patil said that he would work jointly with the BJP candidate from Ahmednagar South constituency and issues like industrialisation, construction of airport, economic progress and development would be given priority.

He also said that the names of three Sena ministers to be inducted in the Union ministry were suggested by Narayan Rane and Bal Thackeray to the prime minister. He said that the national highways would be given top priority and the state highways would be given second priority followed by those rural roads that would acquire commercial character. He said that Maharastra was facing the problem of acute instabiltiy which it never had before.