NCP chief Sharad Pawar stressed on the need for a policy to tackle issues arising due to the urbanisation of villages. He was addressing a programme to celebrate 60 years of the Pune Zilla Parishad in Maharashtra and highlighted various issues faced by local bodies.

The 81-year-old former state chief minister also said though he never contested the Zilla Parishad election, he had been to a local body meeting just five days after birth, as his mother, who was then a local body member, had taken him along with her.