Sharad Pawar seeks meeting with CM to address drought-like situation in Pune tehsils

Sharad Pawar. File Pic

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde seeking a meeting to address the drought-like situation in Purandar, Baramati, Indapur and Daund tehsils of Pune district, reported news agency PTI.

In the letter dated June 16, which he posted on a micro-blogging site on Monday, Sharad Pawar said the state government had undertaken irrigation schemes in the region to mitigate the drought-like situation but problems were found in their implementation when he visited some of these areas recently.

During discussions with the public in these visits, villagers also suggested some measures along with demands to solve the problem of agriculture and drinking water, the former Union minister said in the letter, reported PTI.

"There is a need to take permanent measures to overcome the traditional drought situation in the above mentioned talukas of Pune district. For this, we request you to organise a meeting in Mumbai under your leadership and in the presence of the two deputy chief ministers of the state as well as the Minister of Soil and Water Conservation and the Minister of Water Supply," Sharad Pawar said.

Former state CM Sharad Pawar, who visited several drought-prone villages in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency and interacted with farmers last week, will be touring more villages on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, his party functionaries said.

Earlier last week, Sharad Pawar, while addressing a press conference, took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by thanking him for holding roadshows and rallies at places where his party coincidentally won, reported ANI.

Wherever the Prime Minister's roadshow and rally took place, we won. That is why I consider it my duty to thank the Prime Minister," he said.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)