Feasibility of water grid project needs to be examined: Pawar

The feasibility of the water grid project for Marathwada, conceived by the previous BJP-led government in Maharashtra, needs to be examined, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said here on Thursday.

The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government was not going to scrap the project, but some of its aspects needed to be studied, Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said.

"We have received some feedback that raises questions about the feasibility of this project. There are aspects such as electricity bills, rate of water, that need ro be checked," Pawar said.

"We have not canceled the project, if we find it feasible, we will allocate funds," the NCP leader added.

"Officials had said the scheme was not feasible but the then government wanted it and it overruled the officials," Pawar claimed.

Pawar also said that the state government was planning to recruit 8,000 new police personnel.