Thane, Oct 20 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said the government will ensure farmers do not have a bleak Diwali amid drought.
Shinde flagged off trucks laden with Diwali ration kits for farmers from his residence in Thane as part of the Shiv Sena’s outreach initiative.
Hundreds of trucks carrying Diwali ration kits are being dispatched in phases to drought-stricken districts. Sena workers will deliver the provisions at the doorsteps of farmers.
“Our government and the Shiv Sena stand firmly with the agrarian community,” he said.
Addressing the gathering while extending Dussehra greetings, Shinde said his cabinet colleagues, MPs, and MLAs have visited drought-hit regions to assess ground realities.
“The government understands the struggle of farmers who are grappling with parched fields due to drought. A financial relief of Rs 5,000 is being credited directly to farmers’ accounts, supported by backing from the Central Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the Deputy CM said.
Shinde announced that Shiv Sena will shoulder the responsibility of funding the weddings of daughters of distressed farmers under the guiding philosophy of “80 per cent social work and 20 per cent politics”.
Responding to a query regarding an alleged assault on a cameraman of a news channel by the Thane Mayor’s driver, Shinde condemned the incident.
“The government always stands firmly with the media,” he said and promised an impartial inquiry and strict action against any proven wrongdoing. PTI COR NSK
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