Drought relief fund diverted to western Maharashtra: BJP

Opposition BJP today alleged that the ruling Congress government discriminated in distribution of drought relief fund in the state and granted 80 per cent of total allocation to politically significant western Maharashtra instead of parched Marathwada region.
"Aurangabad and Jalna districts which are severely affected by drought have received only 2.85 per cent of total fund, whereas in western Maharashtra the percentage of allocated funds is around 80 per cent," the Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council Vinod Tawde claimed in a press conference.
Tawde said that Marathwada was reeling under worst drought but got a pittance in relief.

"We have no objection that funds are being allocated to western Maharashtra, but the severity of drought is more in Marathwada which needed massive allocation of funds", Tawde said.
About a dozen ministers in the state Cabinet including Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan come from the western Maharashtra region comprising districts of Pune, Solapur, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur. This prosperous belt is famous for its sugar factories and farmers in the region are economically well-off due to fertile land, good irrigation.
"Even chief minister Prithviraj Chavan diverted Rs 16 crore to his constituency Karad in Satara district", Tawde alleged.
The BJP leader demanded that farmers affected due to drought be given the relief of Rs 40,000 per hectare.

"Since the state government did not declare the scarcity as full-fledged drought, it received less funds from the Centre", Tawde said.