Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel on Sunday said Sharad Pawar was among the first to take special initiatives for the uplift of tribals in Maharashtra.
"When Sharad Pawar was the chief minister of Maharashtra nine per cent of the total budget of state was spent on the improvement of Adivasis. Pawar brought a plan for tribals and their uplift in Maharashtra," said Patel at a conference in Ranchi.
He said that due to the lack of opportunities in Jharkhand, the youth of the state are migrating to Maharashtra.
"Maharashtra has created avenues for the youth and this was possible due to the vision of Sharad Pawar. Today Maharashtra is the top state due to his efforts," said Patel.
"We want to make a new beginning for NCP in Jharkhand. We want NCP to create a new identity," said Patel during a conference in Ranchi.
"A new beginning in Jharkhand has started today with this conference," he added.
