Address water issues and establish fodder camps: CM Eknath Shinde to Officials

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed officials to address water scarcity issues and establish fodder camps for farm relief, said Sudhir Mungantiwar, state forest minister on Tuesday.

As per the reports from ANI, to speed up disbursement of benefits to 'Divyangjan' (persons with disabilities) a certain decision was taken, said Mungantiwar after the cabinet meeting.

He said, "CM Shinde has instructed officials to look into regions facing water scarcity and provide relief. They have been told to expedite the process of establishing fodder camps for farmers to accommodate their cattle."

When asked about Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' absence in the cabinet meeting, Mungantiwar said Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis participated in the cabinet meeting virtually from Nagpur before leaving for Delhi to attend the BJP's parliamentary board meeting.

Fadnavis will personally attend all upcoming state cabinet meetings, Mungantiwar added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Fadnavis voiced his desire to be released from his government duties so that he could focus on party building ahead of the Assembly elections. However, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule indicated that Fadnavis may continue to work for the party while staying Deputy Chief Minister, as reported by IANS.

Fadnavis' surprising declaration came after the MahaYuti won only 17 seats, compared to the MVA's 30 wins, and an Independent candidate in Sangli is anticipated to back the Congress.

On the other hand, the Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, labelled Fadnavis' urge to relieve him from ministerial duties as a 'gimmick' and blamed him for BJP's appauling performance in Maharashtra.

Speaking about the Devendra Fadnavis resignation request, Raut said, "This is all gimmick which is very common in politics. Even Prime Minister Modi does the drama, sometimes he laughs and in other moments he is sad. Fadnavis is his student, doing the same drama."

According to reports from ANI, Sanjay Raut blamed Devendra Fadnavis for the BJP's massive defeat in Maharashtra. Speaking about it, he said, "Devendra Fadnavis is the villain of Maharashtra's politics and the public of the state has denied his leadership. He is responsible for running the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state."