Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is now Shiv Sena’s ruling ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, in a bid to further consolidate its position in the country, will focus, for a year, on agriculture, job creation, women empowerment, urbanisation, education, minorities, and public health, especially in the wake of the present coronavirus pandemic. On the eve of the party's 22nd anniversary, its chief, Sharad Pawar, in a Facebook address, announced that the party will dedicate 2020-21 towards social service and will actively work with its 10 lakh members at the booth level as warriors. Pawar downplayed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attack against the MVA government and him and instead exhorted party workers to convert the present crisis into an opportunity.
Pawar’s message to party workers is to unitely fight the coronavirus pandemic and work for the speedy revival of the economy of the state and the country. He reviewed the party's two decade performance and said that it has weathered political storms and now on the growth trajectory. He recalled the mass defection by leaders ahead of the assembly polls last year and hailed the workers who stayed with him despite all odds.
Pawar asked Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif to guide party members in the field of agriculture, rural economy and issues faced by farmers. In a bid to spread its wings in the rapidly growing cities and towns, where NCP has little presence, he has asked party MPs Supriya Sule and Vandana Chavan to prepare a road map on the issues and growth opportunities in urban and municipal corporation areas.
Pawar said the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown have severely impacted the economy and jobs. In view of the migration of workers, industries will need manpower in a big way. Therefore, he asked the party’s youth wing to undertake a programme with regards to job creation. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state NCP chief and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil have been tasked with the responsibility to prepare a plan in this regard.
Pawar said the present coronavirus crisis coincides with the completion of women empowerment and announced that the party will take a slew of programmes in this regard. He declared that MPs Faujia Khan and Supriya Sule and state women wing chief Rupali Chakankar will decide the roadmap.
Pawar admitted that the commencement of schools and colleges post COVID-19 and the launch of online teaching and availability of teaching material will be a huge challenge. He asked the party’s student wing to take initiative, as most of them are running such education institutions.
In order to win over backward classes and minorities, Pawar has asked Minister of Food and Civil Supplies Chhagan Bhujbal and Minister of Minority Affair Nawab Malik to form an empowered group and implement projects for these sections.
Recognising its contribution in the coronavirus crisis, Pawar has asked the party’s Doctor Cell to be proactive on the availability of medicines, especially generic medicines, and precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the virus. Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope, former legislator Jagannath Shinde and Doctor Cell chief Dr Narendra Kale will work on this front along with the government machinery.
