While opposition parties boycotted his customary session-eve tea meeting, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh announced Rs 10,000 crore in funds for improving irrigation in the drought-prone Vidarbha over the next few years.He said 30 per cent of the funds (Rs 2,177 crore) would come as help from the Centre for completing irrigation projects as announced by the PM during his recent visit to Vidarbha, while the rest would be raised by the state as open market borrowings.Criticising the boycott, Deshmukh said the Rs 3,750 crore announced by the prime minister was supplementary to the various schemes offered by the state. He countered the Opposition charge that the prime minister’s package was an eyewash, saying that the prime minister came to meet farmers and not satisfy the opposition.“I am 100 per cent satisfied by the prime minister’s financial package and this would be over and above the various schemes announced by the state,” Deshmukh said.Earlier, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Ramdas Kadam, announced at a separate press conference that they were boycotting the customary tea meeting called by the chief minister as the state government had “failed” to control the law and order situation, prevent incidents of “suicide” by farmers and rectify “worsening” power situation.The chief minister said the state administration would ensure that the package announced by the prime Minister was implemented thoroughly.Deshmukh also said that the beneficiaries of the schemes would include the next of kin of farmers who had committed suicide since 2001.He further said some 900 to 950 cases of “suicides” by farmers during 2000-2001 were under the consideration of the state government for giving benefits to their families.As regards the power situation, the chief minister said the Dabhol power project had generated about 600 MW power. As the rains had set in Maharashtra the need for load shedding due to a 4000 MW deficit had reduced, he said. In the next two to three months, power units at Parli-Vaijnath and Paras would add 500 MW to the power generation in the state, he said. Replying to the charge of BJP-Shiv Sena that the state had failed on the law and order front, the chief minister alleged that opposition parties were in the habit of raking up the issue every time, out of habit. On the contrary, the home department needs to be lauded for its efforts in averting a major tragedy by recently arresting a group of persons belonging to terrorist organisations, he said.
