uddhav-raps-maha-govt-for-neglecting-farmers-plight

The Maharashtra government has ₹86,000 crore for contractors to construct the Shaktipeeth Expressway but lacks funds for the state’s distressed farmers, according to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday. The former Chief Minister has been touring districts in Marathwada since November 5 to meet farmers affected by the heavy rains that struck the region in the last week of September, destroying crops across thousands of hectares of land.

 

During the day, he visited Pardi village in Nanded, Dongarkada and Jawla Bazar in Hingoli, as well as Pingali in Parbhani, interacting with farmers to find out if the relief measures and financial aid announced by the Devendra Fadnavis government had reached them.

 

Thackeray said, "The state government has ₹86,000 crore to give contractors to build the Shaktipeeth Expressway but has no money for distressed farmers. There is no need for this expressway now. However, when I say this, the ruling party will claim I am opposed to development."

 

Slamming the state government further on the project, he suggested that middlemen will purchase land along the route and then sell it at higher rates for the expressway. "The people purchasing the land have already started making plans along the alignment of the expressway. Similarly, middlemen, rather than farmers, benefited from soybean purchase. Soybean purchased by middlemen will be sold to official procurement centres later at profit. They will earn profits while farmers will get nothing," he stated.

 

Hitting back at a comment by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that he just keeps taunting, Thackeray retorted, "Speaking about farmers' issues and seeking justice for them is taunting for the CM." He added that providing compensation is the government's duty, yet he has to go around inquiring into it himself.

 

"The CM, guardian ministers and MLAs should come to villages and ask people about their compensation. But they (ruling party) have nothing to do with such issues," Thackeray concluded.

 

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