Mumbai, Jan 9 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Wednesday said that to combat the drought situation, the state government will empower district collectors to sanction expenditures of up to Rs.2 crore for drought-relief work.
Chavan said that the decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet here and that several other measures will also be put in place for water supply in scarcity-hit regions of the state.
Initiating early preparations for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Wednesday convened a meeting of all its delegates and discussed the changing political situation.
The meeting was attended by Chavan, former union minister Mukul Wasnik, All India Congress Committee in-charge of the state Mohan Prakash, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Manikrao Thakre, central and state ministers, legislators and parliamentarians from the state.
The MPCC also decided to strengthen its activities on the grass root level in all its Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies.
“The Maharashtra unit (of the Congress) will work to strengthen the party in the entire state, including those seats held by the NCP,” Chavan said.
A decision was also taken to entrust ministers and senior leaders of the party with responsibilities of each assembly and parliamentary seat.
Addressing reporters after the meet, Chavan and Thakre said that a decision on the party’s alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party or other parties will be taken by the party’s central leadership.
Thakre said that all parties wish to grow without anybody’s help. “No one is happy in an alliance, everyone wants to be number one,” he said.
Prakash, on the other hand told the party officials that the Congress will have to adopt a different perspective to strengthen their hold on those seats where they have been losing during polls.
“In the view of changing political situation, a reason why Congress lost on certain seats should be seen through a different perspective. Appraisal and evaluation of party leaders will depend on their performance,” Prakash said.
