Minister takes on CM over relief to scarcity-hit districts

The state Cabinet's weekly meeting saw sparks fly between chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and his senior Congress colleague Patangrao Kadam.

The state Cabinet's weekly meeting saw sparks fly between chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and his senior Congress colleague Patangrao Kadam.

HT Image

Kadam, who heads the relief and rehabilitation department, raised the administration's failure in providing relief to scarcity-hit Satara and Sangli district.

Kadam told Chavan that the administration did not help despite the fact that a cabinet sub-committee, headed by him, had formulated a proper scheme. Satara is the CM's home district while Kadam belongs to Sangli.

A senior minister, who was witness to the argument, told HT requesting anonymity, that Kadam asked the CM if he ran the government or the bureaucrats, who cared a damn about serving scarcity-hit people.

The minister said Chavan failed to pacify Kadam, who then called for an urgent meeting of his sub-committee.

Kadam did not comment on what happened in the cabinet meeting but said that he was not happy with the relief work and the quality of fodder being provided to animals owned by stressed farmers.