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Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar Monday equated the destruction caused due to the torrential rains in Osmanabad to the earthquake that rocked Latur district in September 1993.
Pawar remarked that since the magnitude of the devastation due to the incessant rains is so huge the Maharashtra Government has no other alternative but to borrow a loan.
“Crops have been severely affected, hence there is a need to make changes in the criteria in the crop insurance scheme,” Pawar said this while speaking to newspersons here at Tuljapur in Osmanabad this morning.
He said the torrential rains have hit the farmers’ hard and therefore it is necessary to pull them out of the crisis. “It is a very big challenge confronting the state and I would be pursuing the issue with the Central Government,” said Pawar who is also the Rajya Sabha MP.
Also Read: Sharad Pawar urges Centre to help Maharashtra farmers affected by retreating showers
The sugarcane crop produced in Osmanabad is the worst hit, as it has been completely washed away causing loss of the entire year to the farmers. “The farmers’ need massive help,” he added.
“Certain issues in the new farm laws have been opposed. Some states are also protesting on the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP). There is no clarity on whether MSP will be given to farmers. The government will have no right to decide on MSP to farm produce as private companies and traders have got the scope to purchase the product from the farmers,” Pawar added.
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar who is on a visit to rain hit Osmanabad Monday said that there is no option before the state government other than borrowing a loan to provide relief package to the farmers.
Addressing a press conference in Tuljapur in Osmanabad, the NCP chief said that he would soon meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and insist upon him to borrow a loan.
He said the crisis gripping the state which is due to the torrential retreating rains is unprecedented and to bring the farmers out of the crisis, all should come forward.
Pawar also said that the state is staring at a historic financial crisis. He asked whether the state government alone could bear the burden?
”I have read the story wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on the emerging crisis due to rainfall. During the election, we speak against one another. But during such crisis we work shoulder to shoulder,” he said.
He informed that when an earthquake hit Gujarat that time the whole responsibility was given to him. ”While taking a decision, political parties are not kept in mind,” he added.
People have not granted me even a day off
In last 53 years, he said, he worked in different capacities while being elected to State Legislative Assembly, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. During this period, people did not grant him even a day’s off.
He said he does not prefer to sit idle during the time of crisis. ”I am not at the helm of affairs. When the crisis arises it is necessary to meet people. But who is at the helm, that person has to look after various things simultaneously.
Hence, we had only requested chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to stay put in Mumbai and oversee all the work.” he added. ”The ministers who are on the field, we report port to the chief minister,” Pawar added.
Home minister disappointed on a letter sent to CM by the Governor
Pawar while launching an attack against Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, said, Home Minister, Amit Shah himself expressed disappointment over Governor shooting off a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on re-opening of temples and religious places in the state. He wondered as to how Koshyari is still on the post of Governor even after Shah being upset with him.
He said he has seen Governor’s in the state since 1957 and after 1967 he directly got in touch with them. The post of the Governor is very important and the prestige of it should remain intact. Also, the post of Chief Minister has its prestige and it also should remain intact. He said the good thing that happened was that the Home Minister reprimanded the Governor.
”If he (Koshyari) has self-respect then he should decide whether to continue to remain in the post or quit,” Pawar said.
