Shiv Sena to give 7.69 lakh Diwali ration kits to drought-hit farmers in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena is set to give 7.69 lakh Diwali ration kits to drought-hit farmers in the state. Party spokesperson and former MP Anand Paranjape said 5,38,500 of these kits have already been distributed and the rest will reach farmers in two days. He said the aim is to ensure that help reaches every farmer in distress.

Paranjape was speaking at a press conference at Balasaheb Bhavan. He said the party's chief leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed that this year's Diwali be celebrated with farmers. Over the next three days, Shiv Sena ministers, MLAs, MPs and other public representatives will therefore reach the edges of farmers' fields. The kits have been given to farm families in 278 tehsils across the Marathwada, Nashik, Pune, Amravati and Nagpur regions.

Paranjape said Maharashtra has been hit by its worst drought since 1972 and the state's farmers are in great difficulty. He said Deputy Chief Minister Shinde went to Delhi in September, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought major assistance for farmers. Central teams subsequently visited the state and assessed the drought. At the Dussehra rally too, Shinde had assured that farmers' Diwali would not be allowed to turn dark.

Giving region-wise figures, Paranjape said so far 1.77 lakh kits have been distributed in Marathwada, 1.35 lakh in Nashik division, 82,000 in Pune division, 77,500 in Amravati division and 66,000 in Nagpur. In addition, 10,000 sugarcane harvesting workers have also received kits. Kits will be distributed in Konkan in the last phase.

The state government has declared drought in 304 of 358 tehsils, and the Shiv Sena gave rations to farmers in 278 of them. Paranjape said that whenever a crisis hits the state, the Shiv Sena and Eknath Shinde are the first to rush to help. On Dussehra, 60 truckloads of rations were sent from Thane and 40 from Mumbai. Through the Shiv Sena's doctors' cell, 5,000 Diwali ration kits will also be given to the poor.

He said the party has taken up more work for farmers. A total of 25,000 sewing machines have been distributed to farmers' wives and mothers and sisters, and 25,000 bicycles to girls. Shinde has told party workers that "the toran of help is the Shiv Sena's policy", and that Shiv Sainiks should reach farmers' fields with saffron on their shoulders.

Paranjape said drought-hit farmers should not worry about their daughters' weddings. After December, the Shiv Sena will hold mass wedding ceremonies, and farmers should register their names with their district chief for this. Shiv Sena branches in drought-affected areas will work like farmer service centres. There, farmers will get information on government schemes, be registered under MGNREGA and have problems with panchnamas resolved. He also said that on Wednesday, Shinde was honoured with the titles of Sanatan Martand and Dharmadhwajadhari in Kashi.

Responding to complaints by Nationalist Congress Party MLAs that their work was not being done, Paranjape said Shinde attends to the work of the Mahayuti's 232 MLAs and also of the opposition. Any NCP MLA can therefore meet Deputy Chief Minister Shinde at any time about work.

On the Thane murder case involving Purnekar, Paranjape said the opposition had, from day one, kept trying to damage the image of the Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde by using the Purnekar family as cover. He asked why the opposition leaders who came to Thane for the Purnekar family did not show the courage to meet Disha Salian's family. He said a delegation of Shiv Sena MPs will meet the CBI chief in the Disha Salian case.

Paranjape said the Shiv Sena's help will not stop at Diwali, and such work for farmers will continue until the next monsoon. He described Eknath Shinde as the true heir to Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva. According to him, as chief minister Shinde worked like a common man, then worked as DCM, which he said stands for "Dedicated to Common Man", and now, in the drought crisis, "Shinde saheb" has proved to be "Dedicated to Change Maker" in raising farmers' standard of living.