Govt did not keep word on helping farmers and students: Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar today accused the Maharashtra government of not keeping its promise of providing financial assistance to students in drought-hit areas.
"Several leaders of our party had participated in an agitation across the state over farmers' issues. When we took stock, we got information that almost six lakh farmers had joined our workers in the agitation. The state government had announced that it had taken several steps for relief in the drought-hit areas. However, we don't see any implementation of those steps," Pawar told reporters here.
The former Union Agriculture Minister alleged that the government had not yet waived the fees of the students in the drought-affected areas.

"It has also not accommodated 23 lakh farmers in the Food Security Programme that has been announced to provide food grain at cheaper rates. In the state, 34 lakh farmers had insured their crops. They have not yet received the crop insurance amount," Pawar said.
Reiterating that small farmers should consider alternate source of income, the NCP supremo said, "Almost 82 per cent of farmers in the country hold farmland measuring less than five acre. If one person in the family is in farming the others should look at other income sources."
Meanwhile, reacting to Pawar's statements, state Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse said that his allegation that the government had not helped the farmers and students was baseless. "He should have taken proper information before making the statement," Khadse said.