Ahir Seeks Bappa’s Blessings to Overcome Drought Crisis

• No proposal before government for special session on drought, says Legislative Council Deputy Chairman

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Sachin Ahir on Thursday said he prayed to Lord Ganesha for strength to overcome the drought-like situation affecting farmers across the state.

Ahir was speaking to media persons after performing Ganesh aarti at CIE Automotive India Ltd in Bhosari on Thursday. MLA Mahesh Landge, Shiv Sena deputy leader and senior corporator Sulabha Ubale, company officials Vinayak Kalaskar, Nivrutti Bachhav, Balasaheb Patil and Prashant Sharma, along with trade union representatives Krishna Dev Thorat, Deepak Aragade, Subhash Jamadar and others, were present.

“Maharashtra is facing a drought crisis and I have prayed at the feet of Ganapati Bappa to give us the strength to overcome it,” Ahir said.

On the demand for a special session of the state legislature to discuss the drought situation, Ahir said there was currently no proposal before the government to convene a special session on the issue.

“The Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers and guardian ministers are visiting affected areas and interacting directly with farmers instead of relying only on reports. District collectors have been directed to submit reports on the drought situation within three days. Once the reports are received, the Chief Minister will announce a decision,” he said.

Ahir said the regular session of the legislature is expected to be held within the next one-and-a-half to two months, where legislators can raise issues related to drought.

He said the situation was different across Maharashtra, with some dams having adequate water while crops in other areas have been damaged. “It is necessary to provide assistance to farmers. The government is taking steps to extend help at the earliest,” he said.

Ahir also said that Shiv Sena had started fodder camps in Jalna, Amravati and Nagpur, adding that assistance would first be provided directly to farmers before expanding such camps. He said other political parties and social organisations were also contributing towards fodder camps.

On DJ use during Ganeshotsav

Responding to a question on restrictions on DJ systems during Ganeshotsav, Ahir said celebrations should be conducted with enthusiasm while preserving traditional practices. “As a representative of workers, I participate in Ganeshotsav with workers every year with devotion. My trade unions also worship Lord Ganesha using traditional musical instruments without using DJs,” he said.