Maharashtra drought: Sule asks parties to set politics aside, support farmers
NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday called for political parties to set aside differences and jointly support farmers affected by the drought-like situation in Maharashtra.
The Baramati Lok Sabha MP welcomed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his ministers visiting drought-hit areas, but stressed that such tours should translate into concrete relief reaching farmers on the ground.
Fadnavis on Wednesday visited villages in Latur and Dharashiv affected by water shortages and crop losses and is also scheduled to tour parts of Solapur district.
“During a drought, without bringing politics into it, all of us should stand together immediately with farmers who are facing difficulties in Maharashtra,” Sule told reporters in New Delhi.
She urged political parties to exercise restraint and work collectively for affected farmers. Sule said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had written to the chief minister regarding the situation, while party leaders Rohit Pawar, Jayant Patil and Anil Deshmukh, along with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, had visited affected areas.
Sule also called on the state government to implement immediate relief measures for farmers.
Fadnavis said on Tuesday that the Maharashtra government would extend immediate assistance to farmers affected by the drought-like conditions without waiting for financial support from the Centre. He also announced a Cabinet sub-committee headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to expedite decisions on relief measures. A preliminary notification on the drought situation is expected to be issued by Saturday.
with inputs from PTI
