Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday visited the flood-affected areas on the bank of river Penganga. He inspected a few fields on the Adilabad-Maharashtra border at Pippalkuti village in Yavatmal district to assess the damage caused by the floods in Penganga in July-August.
Adilabad MLA Jogu Ramanna met the Minister at Pandharkawda taluka headquarter village where the latter camped briefly after his field visit. He urged the Minister to take steps to declare the Lower Penganga Project as a National Project so that its works can be speeded up.
The MLA submitted a representation to Mr. Pawar giving details of the project and how it would be beneficial to the farmers on either side of the border. The representation also contained details of the proposed barrages with a request to expedite works on them.
The Minister also addressed a press conference wherein he said he would talk to the State governments of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh on the issue of release of compensation for damaged crops.
He declined to comment on the contentious issue of formation of Telangana or Vidarbha States.
