Opposition slams Maharashta CM for ‘delayed response’ to flood

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar, said the state machinery failed to respond to the situation, leading to several deaths and displacement of over 2 lakh people. He demanded a blanket loan waiver for all farmers.

The Opposition has slammed the Devendra Fadnavis-led government for delayed response to the floods in western Maharashtra and lack of coordination with neighbouring Karnataka in tackling the situation.

The Opposition has slammed the Devendra Fadnavis-led government for delayed response to the floods in western Maharashtra (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar, said the state machinery failed to respond to the situation, leading to several deaths and displacement of over 2 lakh people. He demanded a blanket loan waiver for all farmers. “I’ve never seen such floods here. This is unprecedented and the state machinery was found to be inadequate in handling it. In fact, they were nowhere in the picture,” Pawar said. “Why the government could not deal with the situation needs to be checked. Karnataka government should show humanity and help us,” he said.

NCP has decided to contribute a month’s salary of all its public representatives to flood- affected people. Pawar also declared the ‘Shiv Swarajya Yatra’ of the party, its campaign ahead of the Assembly polls, has been suspended.

State Congress chief Balasahab Thorat demanded that the Army be deployed to handle the rescue operation as the situation in Kolhapur and Sangli is “unprecedented”. He also demanded financial assistance of ₹4,000 crore from the Centre and an all-party meeting to discuss the further course of action. “When so many districts in the state were submerged, CM was busy in ‘Mahajanadesh Yatra’ along with other key leaders. PM Modi, who tweets on every small issue, has not got time to take cognisance of the floods. Kolhapur’s guardian minister Chandrakant Patil was away from the district for days. The ruling party is not at all serious about the calamity,” he said.

Congress leader and leader of Opposition in legislative Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, also slammed Fadnavis for campaigning while the downpour crippled the state.

UDDHAV, AADITYA TO VISIT FLOOD-HIT AREAS

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said he and Aaditya will visit Kolhapur and Sangli in a few days. “We’ve suspended all political programmes. Aaditya was to go to the region as part of his yatra, but it has been put off,” he said, adding he was in touch with local MPs and MLAs from the flooded regions. He said the party will soon start medical camps.