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Journalism of Courage
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Tuesday cancelled all his engagements in the Pune district and said he would go to the Marathwada area of the state, which has been severely affected by rain and floods.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties, including the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), lashed out at the government, accusing it of not paying attention to Marathwada.
In a press release, Pawar’s office stated that his Jan Sanvad programme, scheduled for September 24 in Khadakwasla, and the Rashtravadi Parivar Milan programme on September 25 have been deferred.
Pawar also posted about the situation in Marathwada on his X account.
“Due to the heavy rain in many districts of Maharashtra, farmers and citizens have suffered extensive damage. In some places, this flood situation has led to the tragic loss of lives. At the same time, there has been significant damage to numerous homes, household items, and livestock,” his post, loosely translated from Marathi, read.
“I myself will soon visit the flood-affected areas. Additionally, I have issued instructions to all guardian ministers of the Nationalist Congress Party to visit the farmers’ settlements and villages in the districts assigned to them. And MLAs should do the same in their constituencies, to provide immediate relief and assistance to the affected citizens; furthermore, the administration should promptly begin conducting panchnamas,” he added.
Opposition backlash
Speaking to reporters in Pune, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar urged the state government to conduct an early “panchanama” of the crop loss. “The government should take immediate steps to assist the farmers. Besides Marathwada, Western Maharashtra and Vidarbha have also been hit by floods. Crops on several acres of land have been damaged. The farmers have suffered huge losses due to the excess rainfall,” he said.
“Maharashtra has witnessed unprecedented rain. It has affected farmers and livestock. Those districts known for drought have experienced excess rain. The soybean crop, on which farmers rely heavily, has also suffered significant damage, putting them in trouble. I don’t remember such rain occurring in the past.”
