Alva endorsed BJP's views on Vidarbha farmers: Gadkari

Mumbai, Dec 11 (UNI) Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari has claimed that AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Margaret Alva has endorsed his party's views that the state government has failed to tackle the problems of farmers in Vidarbha.

The condition of farmers in Vidarbha was the worst and the state government had acted irresponsibly, Mr Gadkari said in a press statement here today.

He claimed that Ms Alva too had been critical of the implementation of the Prime Minister's package for Vidarbha farmers. She had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the state government had completely failed to tackle the issue of farmers' suicides, and this would harm the Congress prospects in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections slated to be held in 2009, he added.

Mr Gadkari said Ms Alva's letter ratifies the criticism by BJP that the Prime Minister's package was nothing but an attempt to revive the co-operative banks led by the leaders of NCP, and the farmers were not getting any benefit from it.

UNI