25 kg foodgrains @ Rs 3 for the poor:Pawar’s promise if voted to power again

Pawar,who is also the Agriculture Minister,said the drought led to a fall in production,causing prices to soar. However,he said that the government had taken steps to rein in the prices. “We have to give good prices to the farmers and we also have to give food at reasonable prices to the people,” Pawar said.

He said that the recent spate of rains has yanked the country out of a drought-like situation. “In the beginning of the season,the lack of rains had created a drought-like situation. The situation was serious. However,the recent rains should do good for rabi. We will be able to increase the acerage of pulses by 10 per cent,” Pawar said.

Meanwhile,at a time when the Lok Saba is yet to clear the 33 per cent reservation for women,Pawar said that the state government was mulling over increasing this reservation from the 33 per cent to 50 per cent for the state assembly,the municipal corporations,the zilla parishads and the panchayats.

Pawar said that a similar government at the state would better implement the policies of the central government. Without naming Pakistan,Pawar said that the state needed to keep its defences strong. But he said that the Sena- BJP couldn’t be trusted as they had succumbed to pressure and released three terrorists at Khadahar during the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight.