Maha yet to get full-time agri min: Opp

Mumbai: Although the Bharatiya Janata Party the Hindi heartland allegedly due to the agrarian crisis, the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party seems not to have learned its lesson.

The state does not have a full-time agriculture minister for over six months and the department does not have a full-time secretary for the last nearly three-and-a-half months.

State agriculture minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pandurang Phundkar passed away on May 31 this year. Since his sudden demise, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil has been handling additional charge of the department. Similarly, the secretary of the agriculture department, Bijay Kumar, retired from his post in August 2018.

Now, Eknath Dhawale, who is the secretary for water conservation and employment guarantee scheme (EGS), is handling the additional charge. The state government is yet to get a full-time secretary for the agriculture department.

When asked about the additional charge, a senior minister said, “Both the departments are working very well. None of the schemes are being derailed and no funding has been stopped.”

 “Yes, it is true that the department does not have an independent minister and secretary. But there has been no dearth of funding for farmer-related projects,” the senior minister added.

However, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “When farmers in Maharashtra are facing similar problems as other states, this government should have brought in a full-time minister and secretary. But it hasn’t which shows its priority. Farmers will unite and throw this government out soon.”

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan said, “The announcement of the loan waiver by three Congress-ruled states has scared Mr Modi. He is now desperate to change the narrative of the agrarian crisis.”