Turning the table on the Opposition over boycotting the customary tea with the Chief Minister at his official camp residence, Fadnavis said in the hour of crisis when the state was facing severe drought in 14 districts, the Government was expecting the Opposition to sit across the table over tea and discuss the issues seriously.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday asked the opposition parties not to politicise the drought situation in the state and said his government stood firmly behind the crisis. He dismissed criticism over inept handling of drought-like situation in the state.
"Out rightly denying the charges that government was doing nothing to handle the drought like situation," Fadnavis told reporters here on the eve of commencement of Winter Session of State Legislature from Monday.He said his government had already initiated measure to tackle the worst ever drought.
"About 800 tankers are plying with drinking water in the affected zone, work in the employment guarantee scheme was in full swing and the 'Jalyukta Shivar', a water conservation scheme launched earlier was helping the farmers to overcome the drought," Fadnavis said. "As per normal practise the Central team visited in December to assess the drought situation but the state has already submitted a detailed report of situation well in time to the Centre and was expecting relief soon," he added.
Turning the table on the Opposition over boycotting the customary tea with the Chief Minister at his official camp residence, Fadnavis said in the hour of crisis when the state was facing severe drought in 14 districts, the Government was expecting the Opposition to sit across the table over tea and discuss the issues seriously.
"But the Opposition preferred to boycott. It was time for all parties to come together and sympathise with the distressed farmers in overcoming the crisis and help the state to tackle the drought more effectively," he added.
Fadnavis denied allegations of Rs 4,000 crore pulses scam and said the Opposition should have explained the magic figure of Rs 4,000 crore. "How could they derive at this figure," he quipped.
Ridiculing the opposition, Fadnavis said the Government will expose them on the floor of the House and decode the scam figure. To a question on proposed Cabinet expansion, the Chief Minister said it will now be after the end of Assembly and Parliament session.
The Winter session of both the Maharashtra Assembly and Parliament ends on December 23. Meanwhile, distancing himself from the controversy over referendum remarks by Maharashtra Advocate General Shihari Aney on separate Vidarbha, Fadnavis said he has not heard the comments made on Saturday but today heard Aney saying he will protect the interest of Maharashtra in his capacity as state AG.
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 "Devendra Fadnavis")
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