At state govt DROUGHT FORCES MAHA FARMERS TO MIGRATE TO CITIES

While reservation and other controversies will be raked up, the rift between the Congress and NCP to act in favour of the govt

MUMBAI: The failure of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in controlling the drought situation and providing relief has forced around 40-45 lakh farmers to migrate to neighbouring cities including suburban Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, Dhananjay Munde leader of opposition in the legis lative council, said on Tuesday.

The Congress-led Opposition parties have demanded complete loan waiver for farmers affected by one of the worst droughts in the history of the state. They even boycotted the customary tea party organised by the CM on the eve of the budget session on grounds that the government was not doing enough to tackle the situation. They plan to take the government to task dur ing the budget session of the state legislature that starts on Wednesday. The decision was announced following a meeting of Opposition parties on Tuesday afternoon. The objective of the tea party is to ensure better coor dination between the ruling and Opposition for smooth function ing of the legislature.

“The farmers have been com ing to Chakan, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Navi Mumbai and suburban areas of Mumbai,” Munde, who recently toured drought-hit areas of the state told HT. He termed ministers tour to the drought-hit tehsils drought tourism”, adding if their intention was to help the aggrieved farmers, the tour would not have been organised just ahead of the budget session

“We have been demanding loan waiver from the first ses sion of the government and will continue to demand relief,” Radhakrishna Vikhe-patil said