He said that the government will not leave the farming community alone and will provide full assistance in areas facing drought-like conditions.
His statement came after the demand of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar in which he had asked the state government to declare drought and distribute relief aid immediately.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde admitted that standing crops have been burnt due to drought in parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada. The assessment of crop loss is currently underway to distribute assistance on the basis of actual loss.
He held video conferencing with Osmanabad (Dharashiv) in-charge minister Pratap Sarnaik, MP Omraje Nimbalkar and the district collector to review the crisis. The minister in-charge of the district is visiting the affected areas and confirmed that he will soon visit the drought-affected areas himself to talk to the farmers directly.
Rejecting the opposition's criticism, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde said that the Mahayuti government believes in letting its work speak for itself rather than indulging in political rhetoric.
Celebrating 'World Bamboo Day' at his farm in Dare where he has successfully experimented with the cultivation of camphor and asafoetida along with imported crops like blueberries, Shinde stressed on the multiple uses of bamboo in making ethanol, modern infrastructure and everyday commercial goods.
He urged for bamboo cultivation on a large scale along with efforts for environmental protection during the festival season. Deputy Chief Minister Shinde also took a sharp dig at his political opponents who constantly criticize him during his visits to his hometown, Delhi or London.
He said jokingly, “Whenever I go to my village, my political opponents start getting stomach ache. Now I have to find some medicinal plant or give them Jamalgota (a traditional stomach-cleansing medicine) to cure their indigestion. I am a man of action and will respond to criticism with my actions, not with words.”
Earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had written a detailed letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, drawing his attention to the serious farming crisis in the state due to irregular monsoon rains and sought immediate intervention on nine important issues.
Pawar's letter comes shortly after the Chief Minister pledged to make Marathwada drought-free on the occasion of 'Marathwada Liberation Day'. Pointing to the ground reality, Pawar (who uploaded the letter on 'X' on Friday) stressed that deficient rainfall has badly affected crops in Marathwada and other parts of the state, leaving farmers in deep distress.
In his letter, Pawar expressed serious concerns over standing crops, shortage of drinking water and shortage of fodder for animals.
Pawar said, “The farming community is facing a huge crisis due to lack of rain in most parts of the state this year. Standing crops like soybean, cotton, millet, maize, arhar (tur), moong and urad have dried up and on top of that, pest attack has also increased. As a result, the situation of farming, drinking water and fodder supply is going to worsen.”