Nationalist Congress Party (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar on Tuesday slammed the tour of Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat to Solapur district, which witnessed heavy rains in the last few days.
The Opposition MLA said the Shiv Sena cabinet member`s tour was a mockery of farmers, who have been badly affected by the downpour.
“Out of the schedule, 1 hour is reserved for inspecting the areas in Karmala affected by heavy rainfall and 6 hours are set aside for party organization. Does this mean Mr Shirsat is coming to the party meeting just to stretch his legs? If not, what else is this but a mockery of farmers?,” Pawar posted on X along with the itinerary of the minister`s tour.
Pawar maintained that state ministers should avoid `tourism` visits.
“Will the minister wipe away the farmers` tears or rub salt into their wounds? Farmers have absolutely no need for such `tourism` visits by ministers. Instead of such futile tours, the government should declare a wet drought, provide loan waivers, and give farmers Rs 50,000 per hectare as aid,” he demanded.
Dy CM Ajit Pawar inspects flood-affected areas in Solapur
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited flood-affected areas in Solapur, inspected damaged crops and interacted with farmers.
He directed local authorities to ensure quick relief and support for those impacted by the heavy rains.
In a post on X, Ajit Pawar wrote, “Today, the inspection tour of the flood situation in Solapur was started from Korti in Karmala taluka. Due to continuous heavy rainfall, there has been significant damage to crops. In this context, I went directly to the fields to inspect the crops. I directly interacted with the farmers to understand their problems and gathered information about the damage that had occurred.”
आज सोलापूरच्या पूरपरिस्थितीचा पाहणी दौरा करमाळा तालुक्यातील कोर्टी इथून सुरू केला. सतत झालेल्या मुसळधार पावसामुळे शेतपिकांचं मोठं नुकसान झालं आहे. या पार्श्वभूमीवर प्रत्यक्ष शेतात जाऊन पिकांची पाहणी केली. शेतकऱ्यांशी थेट संवाद साधून त्यांच्या समस्या जाणून घेतल्या तसंच झालेल्या… pic.twitter.com/Y3cXOyZCHr
— Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) September 24, 2025
“I gave clear instructions that the administration should make meticulous planning and promptly implement the necessary measures to ensure immediate assistance reaches the farmers in the flood-affected areas. Our government stands firmly behind our farmer brothers,” the post read.
A day earlier, Eknath Shinde assured that possible relief and assistance would be provided to people affected by the floods in Marathwada. He said state ministers and officials are in constant coordination with district authorities and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to manage the situation.
“Regarding the flood situation in Marathwada, I am in contact with all district officials and the NDRF rescue team. Farmers have suffered significant losses. Currently, helping farmers is the responsibility of our government. Our Chief Minister and all ministers are going to personally assess the situation. People should receive immediate assistance. Whenever farmers have faced crises, the government has always stood by them. Efforts will be made to compensate for the losses before Diwali,” he said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
