Maharashtra govt., BJP cross swords over aid

Promise of relief hollow, says Fadnavis

After heavy rainfall in the last few days destroyed hectares of cropland in the Marathwada region, politicking over relief began between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and the Opposition BJP in Maharashtra.

A day after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar urged the BJP-ruled Union government not to discriminate between States while providing relief packages, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Friday asked why the State government had not yet announced a relief package of its own, adding that all relief promised by the MVA government for natural calamities this year had “proven hollow”.

“All the pronouncements of this [MVA] government is an eyewash… Flood-hit farmers and citizens from earlier calamities this year, including the heavy rainfall that affected the Konkan and western Maharashtra, have yet to receive compensation,” Mr. Fadnavis said. He added that he would be visiting Marathwada on Saturday.