Will fulfil promises made to farmers: Uddhav Thackeray

Am more concerned about ruined crops than forming government, says Sena chief after touring Sangli, Satara

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray interacts in Sangli on Friday with farmers whose crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains. He was accompanied by Congress leader Vishwajit Kadam.

Stating that he was less concerned about power sharing and government formation and more worried about the plight of farmers, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that his party was even willing to take to the streets to ensure that every farmer hit by unseasonal post-monsoon showers this year received the compensation due to him.

The Sena chief visited areas of Satara and Sangli districts in western Maharashtra in a bid to take stock of and give succour to farmers whose crops had been ravaged by the unseasonal showers.

“More serious than government formation is the pitiable condition of farmers…I am less concerned on whether we succeed on forming a government than whether farmers get justice for their ruined hectares of crops and fruits. The Sena had made certain promises to farmers before the polls and we are going to fulfil them, come what may,” Mr. Thackeray said.

He further remarked that the destruction wrought on crop lands and fruit orchards by the post-monsoon showers was incalculable.

“But the farmer must not bow before this calamity. We Shiv Sainiks are firmly with him in his hour of crisis,” said Mr. Thackeray, after interacting with afflicted farmers in Mayani village in Satara district.

He further directed his party activists to set up help centres for farmers in every afflicted tehsil to facilitate speedy aid to farmers.

The Sena chief’s visit following imposition of President’s rule in the State comes close on the heels of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s tour of the ruined farmlands of the Vidarbha region.

A fortnight ago, amid the shenanigans of government formation, Mr. Thackeray had undertaken two tours of the Marathwada region to show solidarity with farmers.

At the time, he had warned insurance companies who had delayed giving financial aid to farmers of ‘Shiv Sena style’ action. Soon after, a group of Shiv Sena workers and local leaders had vandalized a branch office of the IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company in Pune on grounds that the firm had deliberately delayed in settling farmers’ claims expeditiously.