Will meet PM Modi to seek help for rain-hit farmers: Sharad Pawar

Aurangabad, Oct 18: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek assistance for farmers who have suffered losses due to heavy rains in Maharashtra.

The former Union minister visited Kankarbawadi, Sastur villages in Osmanabad district of Marathwada region in the morning and interacted with farmers affected by the heavy rains that lashed parts of state over the past few days

. Heavy rains and floods have claimed at least 48 lives in Maharashtra's Pune, Konkan and Aurangabad divisions while crops on lakhs of hectares have been damaged extensively.

Twenty-nine persons have died in rain-related incidents in western Maharashtra which comes under Pune division, 16 in central Maharashtra's Aurangabad division, which covers Osmanabad, and three in coastal Konkan, officials said on Friday.

"The central government should help the farmers here and for that, I will meet the prime minister along with other Members of Parliament," Pawar said talking to farmers in the Sastur village. The state government has its limitations in helping farmers affected by the heavy rains and the central government should help in this case, the Rajya Sabha member said.

"I have told other Members of Parliament that we will go to New Delhi in the next eight to ten days and have a meeting with the prime minister on this. The remedy for the issue must be found by the state and the Centre together," the former Union agriculture minister said.