Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday, said that the state government will not take decisions in haste about providing assistance to the farmers affected by the floods. Punchnama is being carried out and the weather bureau has predicted more rain in the next few days. Thackeray, who visited Solapur along with Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and the Minister of State for Public Works Dattatray Bharne, assured the farmers that the government will not leave them high and dry. He snubbed the Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, saying that instead of devoting more time to the poll campaign in Bihar, he should argue for Maharashtra’s case. It will help receive early assistance from the central government. Thackeray will visit Osmanabad on October 21.
Fadnavis had said that the state government should help victims without waiting for help from the central government. "The state government has to seek help from the central government. If the central government clears all the arrears on time to the state, there will not be any need to seek help from it. I do not want to bring any politics in this. I will not leave anyone in the lurch. There is a government of farmers, there is a government of all the people. So, we will not leave them without help," he said.
In response to Fadnavis’ statement that the state government should raise debt as it is not an offence and it should not merely depend on the central government’s assistance, Thackeray said there is nothing wrong in demanding its assistance as the Narendra Modi government is not of any other country.
“It is our priority not to cause any casualties. The administration has been instructed to take measures and we are in constant touch with them. I have come to provide relief and reassurance to the victims. The crisis has not been completely averted. After reviewing the situation, the government will provide aid,” said Thackeray. He further added that there was no reason for anyone to worry and panic.
“The state has received heavy rainfall. In such a situation, if the state government seeks help from the central government, where is the problem?” he asked. He lashed out at Fadnavis, saying that the central government is the government of the country and not the government of foreign countries. “Not only that, in case of crisis, everyone should come together and this is not the time to play politics. I got a call from the Prime Minister on Friday and he assured help,” he noted.
Thackeray was responding to Fadnavis’ criticism that the state government was passing its responsibility on to the central government, saying that it is the state government that should first fulfil its responsibilities instead of passing the buck.
The CM interacted with a few farmers. A 72-year-old farmer said that he had never seen such rainfall in his life. He also distributed cheques of Rs 4 lakh each from the CM’s Relief Fund to the relatives of those who died due to the heavy rainfall and consequent floods.
