Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Thursday slammed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for neglecting the flood relief work and delaying suspension of his mahajanadesh yatra.
Maharashtra Congress committee president Balasaheb Thorat demanded immediate financial aid of ₹4,000 crore for people in the flood-affected areas. “The government was busy planning its political campaign while people were trapped in floods. What did the Guardian Ministers do? They were nowhere to be seen when people continued to suffer. The Prime Minister has not even bothered to take note of these floods where thousands are still trapped,” said Mr. Thorat, while demanding that relief work be handed over to the Army because the State administration and disaster response forces have failed.
Leader of Opposition in Assembly Vijay Vadettiwar said that the floods should be declared a national calamity. “The relief and rehabilitation minister Subhash Deshmukh was addressing a party meeting when Kolhapur and Sangli was suffering. The Shiv Sena has the biggest representation of MLAs and MPs from Kolhapur, but it is busy recruiting turncoats. The government has failed absolutely on every front while tackling this natural calamity,” said Mr. Vadettiwar.
Nationalist Congress Party’s national spokesperson Nawab Malik said it was the late chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who had convened all-party meeting during the 2005 floods to involve all in flood relief measures.
“This CM preferred political campaign over flood relief measures. The Cabinet was discussing land related issues when parts of State were submerged under water. This is the sensitivity of this government,” said Mr. Malik. The government has also come under criticism over the deaths in Sangli district following Thursday’s boat capsize while they were being taken to a safer place.
“The villagers had to use a faulty boat because local administration refused to give them one despite repeated demands. These are murders due to apathy shown by the administration,” said Maharashtra’s former chief minister Ashok Chavan.
