Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, during his visit to Sangli on Monday, reiterated that he would not announce any relief package at present. However, he assured help to those affected by the floods once the damage has been assessed. Meanwhile, he declared that the government will take tough decisions against the encroachments on the river beds and while rehabilitating people, especially from disaster-prone areas.
"I will not only announce the relief package, but will also try to help victims in every manner possible," said the CM while taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) without naming it.
Against the backdrop of the 2019 floods, Covid-19 pandemic and recent floods, Thackeray said that the economy has slowed down. However, he announced that the government is committed to rebuilding the flood-hit districts. “The state will overcome this crisis with the participation of the people while maintaining balance in all matters,” he said.
He hailed the Sangli district administration for shifting the people to a safe place after the weather bureau sounded an alert for heavy rainfall. He met the elected representatives, traders and villagers and assured that the government will take their suggestions into consideration while announcing further assistance.
“Heavy rainfall and floods in various parts of Maharashtra has damaged agriculture, trade, industry and houses. We need to work on both immediate and far-reaching measures to prevent this from happening again. Priority will be given to permanent solutions to problems like floods. With the help of experts, a plan will be prepared to manage floods in the state by diverting water to droughtprone areas and riverine activities."
