Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde participates in cleanliness drive at Juhu Beach

Pic/CMO Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and participated in a cleanliness drive at Juhu Beach.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde also participated in a cleanliness drive at Vile Parle (East) and Kandivali (East).

Earlier, the Maharashtra Chief Minister on Thursday inspected the paddy crop damaged due to unseasonal rain at Tarsa in Nagpur district.

CM Shinde was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde.

Besides Mauda taluka, large-scale damage has also been reported in Ramtek Parshivani taluka. In Nagpur district, around 124 villages have been affected by rain, 852 hectares of crops have been damaged.

Earlier on November 27, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule urged the Maharashtra government to help the farmers after unseasonal rains damaged crops across the state.

"Maharashtra is standing at a difficult turn. A lot of damage has been caused by untimely rains. Everyone should start to work with sensitivity for the state and farmers... I want to request the Maharashtra government to immediately call a team from Delhi, and all of this should be inspected," Sule said.

"The central government should soon give more funds to Maharashtra. Wherever farmers have suffered losses, loans should be waived off. I and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) will present this issue in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha," she added.

Heavy rains on Sunday damaged crops, including grapes, onions, tomatoes, sugarcane, and leafy vegetables in the Nashik district of Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday slammed the Opposition for targeting his government, saying it should think before talking.

Speaking at a news conference on the eve of the state legislature's winter session, he said it has lost confidence due to the BJP's victory in three states in the recently held assembly elections.

"Before the election results, the Opposition said (prime minister Narendra) Modi's popularity was waning. But people have put faith in Modi's guarantee. That is why the opposition should think before opening its mouth," Shinde said.

The situation in Maharashtra was also favourable for his government and it has the people's blessings, he said.

"The ground is slipping from under the Opposition's feet," the chief minister said referring to the boycott of the customary hi-tea by opposition parties.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)