Mumbai, Oct 20 In a dig at his political rivals, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said he works on the ground rather than delivering speeches and has sent 100 tonnes of foodgrains to drought-affected farmers to help them celebrate Diwali.
Addressing the party’s Dussehra rally in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena chief said the government and his party would stand by cultivators facing losses due to water scarcity.
He said farmers are facing difficulties as Maharashtra is under the shadow of drought, with standing crops drying up and affecting yields.
“Today, I have dispatched the first tranche of 100 tonnes of foodgrains to farmers as an advance Diwali gift. There will be more such rounds of assistance given to farmers,” the Shiv Sena president said.
Shinde said land was washed away due to excess rainfall last year, and cattle and crop losses were very serious.
He said Shiv Sena stood firmly behind the affected farmers.
“Unfortunately, this year, the monsoon turned its back on farmers. We reached out to distressed farmers who are shedding tears and offered them consolation. This is not the time to politicise the farmers’ plight but to extend support to them,” Shinde said, adding that more consignments of foodgrains would be sent.
Describing himself as a farmer’s son, Shinde said he understood the difficulties faced by cultivators and their families.
“When I met farmers, they expressed their concerns and cried. They were helpless. They asked how they would live, complete their children’s education and arrange their marriages. I told them that Eknath Shinde will never go back on his words. Shiv Sena will take responsibility for the education and marriages of their children,” he added.
Shinde said some farmers had told him after meeting him that they would not end their lives.
He appealed to cultivators not to take the extreme step, adding that the party would continue to support them.
Recalling Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Shinde said that had he been alive today, he would have asked the party to set aside celebrations and help farmers in distress.
Without naming anyone, Shinde said some people abused him daily and that he had been challenged to speak about farmers’ issues.
“Let me make it very clear that I don’t only give speeches (bhashan) but also give ration to farmers,” he said, adding that some people only delivered speeches.
The rally was held as Shiv Sena marked the completion of 60 years since its formation.
The Maharashtra government had earlier declared drought in affected areas and announced an interim financial assistance of Rs 5,000 for farmers hit by crop losses.
(PTI News)
