Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, May 31 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday alleged that the state government has been missing in action while Marathwada faces a drought.
Patole toured the drought-hit districts of Beed, Jalna and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Addressing a press conference, the Congress leader tried calling Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and claimed that he was unavailable on the phone.
“The government is missing in action when people are facing a drought in Marathwada. I tried telephoning the chief minister, but the call was not connected,” he said.
The Mahayuti government has not implemented the proposed water grid scheme for the Marathwada region, he said.
“When the government can construct the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway by taking loans, why can’t it do the same for the water grid project?” Patole said “We will not keep the water grid scheme on paper. We will ensure that it benefits people,” he said.
The Marathwada water grid aims to connect all irrigation projects in the region to overcome the water crisis there. It was conceived during the tenure of the Devendra Fadnavis government in the state between 2014 and 2019 and was then estimated to cost about Rs 40,000 crore.
The state Congress chief further claimed that there was an artificial scarcity of seeds, and farmers were being charged higher rates.
“Farmers have complained that a bag of cotton seed, which costs Rs 864, is being sold at Rs 1,100. Cultivators were also made to purchase other fertilisers they don’t need,” he alleged.
Patole demanded that farmers get Rs 2 lakh per hectare aid for crop losses and mulberry cultivation also be included in the insurance scheme. PTI AW ARU
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