A delegation of newly elected Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Aditya Thackeray and the party’s group leader in the State Legislature Eknath Shinde, met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and urged him to declare a wet drought in the State owing to unseasonal rain in various parts and provide immediate relief to the farmers.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, the Sena delegation said that several persons had been killed in the unseasonal rains, while the natural calamity had claimed the lives of 328 cattle. “Thousands of acres of standing crops of paddy, cotton, Soyabean, onion, grapes and other fruits were destroyed in the unseasonal rains,” the Sena delegates told the Governor.
The Sena leaders urged the Governor to direct the state administration to carry out an immediate survey of affected areas and provide compensation to the farmers, fishermen, agricultural labourers and milk diary and garden workers.
The Governor assured the Sena delegation that he would speak to the Union Government to provide quick relief and assistance to the farmers affected by unseasonal rains in the State.
The Governor said that he would request the Centre to send a team of experts to assess the losses caused by the recent spell of unseasonal rains in the State, so that the affected farmers could be provided relief quickly.
Apart from Aditya and Shinde, senior Sena leaders Leeladhar Dake, Subhash Desai, Ramdas Kadam, Diwakar Raote, Nilam Gorhe and others were present in the delegation that met the Governor.
Talking to media persons after the meeting the Governor, Aditya said: “Pending the Government formation in the state, we — 63 MLAs belonging to the Sena and those supporting us — met the Governor and urged him to take immediate measures to provide relief to the farmers affected by the recent unseasonal rains.
We from the legislators and leaders from the Shiv Sena will also be touring the affected areas and do whatever we can from the party to provide relief to the affected people”.