Pawar to tour drought-stricken Marathwada

NCP president Sharad Pawar will tour the Marathwada region of Maharashtra from August 15 to take a stock of the drought situation, the party said today.
State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said at a press conference here that Pawar will unveil a statue of the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, in Latur on August 15 before starting his three-day tour.
The government did not heed the opposition's demand for complete loan waiver for farmers during the monsoon session. Cloud-seeding experiment had failed and most of Marathwada was dry, he added.
Tatkare also announced the new office-bearers of state NCP and members of working committee. Umesh Patil who headed the youth wing of NCP has been made the general secretary, while MLC Niranjan Davkhare has been appointed as president of the youth wing in his place.

To a question about Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation elections later this year, Tatkare said the party would have a discussion with Congress, and if it was willing, an alliance could be discussed.
To a question about 'demotion' of former MP and ex-chief of Mumbai NCP Sanjay Patil who has been now appointed as the chief of north-east Mumbai district, party leader Sachin Ahir said NCP wanted to strengthen the organisation at the block level, and Patil wanted to work for it.
Ahir also said that NCP would file a PIL against the illegal Shiv vada stalls (backed by ruling Shiv Sena) in Mumbai.

"There are about 230 such stalls. If illegal hawkers are evicted, why no action is being taken against these stalls," he asked.