Provoked by Chief Minister Vilasrao’s remarks Pawar says that the party ministers are functioning well and have earned good name.
NASHIK: The state’s captain has been warned: don’t queer the pitch for team members. By none other than Sharad Pawar who has also set targets for the Maharashtra team.
Without naming Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Pawar told him on Sunday not to interfere with the functioning of NCP ministers in Democratic Front (DF) government, warning him to stay away from Deputy CM RR Patil’s home department in particular.
In his presidential address at party’s state-level convention in Nashik, Pawar said that those who head alliance governments should take lessons from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who gives near total freedom to his cabinet colleagues.
He said that the image of all the NCP ministers in DF government is excellent because of their good work and the leader of the team should refrain from criticising their work in public or private.
The chief minister had recently said that the state’s police stations have become offices of the NCP.
Pawar said, “When someone (referring to the chief minister) says that police stations have become party offices of NCP, I would like to warn them that they should refrain from making such remarks and also from interfering in the functioning of the home department as it is one of the best functioning departments of the state government.”
“Similarly, I must like to put it on record that image of all NCP ministers is very good and it is because of their good performance. Therefore, again, I would like to tell everybody that please do not interfere in
the functioning of NCP ministers.”
Addressing a well attended public rally at Golf Club ground, Pawar reminded the Congress that the days when it ruled the entire country are gone.
“They (leaders of Congress) should keep in mind that 70 per cent states are run by other political parties and therefore if they are thinking of going on their own in next general and assembly elections then they might be living in a fool’s paradise.”
Other leaders like RR Patil, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Suryakanta Patil and PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal also came down heavily on Congress leaders.
RR Patil complained to Pawar that “it is becoming difficult to work with them with every passing day. We cannot criticise them because we share power and we cannot praise them because they don’t treat us properly.”
Bhujbal directly attacked Congress leader and Revenue Minister Narayan Rane and said “if Rane thinks that he alone can make Congress a number one party in the state, I would like to remind him that there are scores in NCP who are more capable. We make leaders and don’t import them from outside.
Pawar agenda: Enron power by May 2006, all-weather irrigation, and crop loans at low interest rate are three specific goals that Sharad Pawar set for state government on Sunday.
Pawar is the first national leader amongst the alliance partners to set any target for the government.
“Farmers of this country have made this country self-reliant as far as food grain production is concerned but they were committing suicides because of debts. If the farmers of Maharashtra are also committing suicides it is not something to be proud about”, the man from Baramati said.
To improve their lot, the farmers should be supplied uninterrupted power, all-weather irrigation and offered soft crop loans, Pawar said, while announcing that he would like to dedicate the rest of his life to the cause of bringing back the smiles on the farmers’ faces.
He, in fact, almost ordered Maharashtra Energy Minister Dilip Walse-Patil to ensure that Enron’s gas-based power project in Ratnagiri district starts supplying power by May 2006.
Welcoming CM Deshmukh’s announcement of a crop loan at 6 per cent interest, he said, “Efforts must be made to further lower the interest rate.” He said that the entire nation is trying to complete all irrigation projects within a time limit and Maharashtra should also push for completion at the earliest.
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