My political utterances in Delhi were not to demean any leader: Rane

Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Jan 19 (UNI) Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane today said his last month's visit to New Delhi and representations before the party High Command was not to demean any state leader.

''I only put forth the views of the common Congress activist before the party High Command,'' Mr Rane said speaking to newspersons here after visiting the Sai Baba temple at Shirdi.

Mr Rane said that since the last eight years, the Konkan region had received no funds for irrigations projects. ''The state government has recently announced a package for the region but the actual funding is yet to be made,'' Mr Rane said adding that there were 22 pending irrigation projects in Konkan which would require a total of Rs 222 crore for completion.

Commenting on the recent meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, Mr Rane said the meeting was an informal one and there were no political overtones to it.

On the Gujarat assembly elections, Mr Rane said the Gujarat results would have no reflection in Maharashtra or in other states. The problems in Gujarat and other states were different from that in Maharashtra, he said adding that the happenings in Maharashtra, however, can have repurcussions in other states.

UNI XR MAZ SP KP1731