BJP asks Maharashtra govt to declare drought in state

The state govt has also been asked to seek relief from Central contingency fund to tackle the acute water shortage

The BJP today asked the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra to declare drought in the state, and to seek relief from Central contingency fund to tackle the acute water shortage in areas like Marathwada which is among the worst-hit regions.

"There is drought-like situation in Maharashtra this year but the Congress-NCP government has desisted from declaring drought," Leader of Opposition in State Legislative Council, Vinod Tawde told reporters here.

"I demand that the state government declare drought and seek relief from the Central contingency plan by coordinating with the (Narendra) Modi government," the BJP leader said.

Maybe Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan thinks that it will rain in a few days, he said.

"There is a debt burden of over Rs 3 lakh crore on the state. The Congress-NCP government which is riddled with corruption and policy paralysis has taken the state back by several years," he said.

Despite warning of delayed rains by weather bureau, the state government failed to provide seeds to farmers, Tawde said.

We will set up a separate body to tackle drought after coming to power in the ensuing Assembly polls, he said.

Tawde also said that Maharashtra ranks 27th in the list of states as per a report of the MHA on law and order situation.

On seat sharing woes ahead of state polls, he said senior leaders of BJP and Shiv Sena are engaged in talks with other constituents of the 'Mahayuti' and after those deliberations are over, the seat sharing talks of the alliance will also be completed.

State BJP leaders have conveyed to the Central leaders that Pankaja Munde, daughter of late Gopinath Munde be inducted in the Union ministry, Tawde said.

Several big leaders of Congress and NCP are in touch with BJP seeking entry to the party, Tawde said in reply to a query.