Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Talks About Caste Census and Farmer Welfare
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 15: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar has called for a caste census to determine the exact population of various social groups like tribals, SCs, OBCs, and minorities. This, he believes, will help the government create better policies.
In an interview, Pawar said, “I think caste census should be conducted for once. It should be conducted for once along with the general census because we will get to know the exact number of population of tribal, SCs, OBCs, minorities and other sections of society. It should be conducted because every section demands policies (reservation) for themselves, so, getting the exact figure can also help the government while making policies.”
Farmer Welfare Initiatives
Pawar emphasized the government’s efforts to support farmers in Maharashtra. He mentioned that the government is providing loans at zero percent interest, waiving old electricity bills, and offering free electricity to farmers.
He highlighted three instances when farmers’ loans were waived: during former PM Manmohan Singh’s tenure, under CM Devendra Fadnavis, and when Uddhav Thackeray was CM. Currently, the state government, along with the central government, is giving loans to farmers at zero percent interest, with the repayment due after one year.
Pawar also mentioned that he interacted with many people from rural areas before presenting the budget. He learned about their problems, including the issue of unpaid electricity bills leading to farmer suicides. This led to the policy of waiving electricity bills for farmers.
Water Management and Flooding Issues
Pawar discussed the government’s efforts to bring water to drought-affected areas like Vidarbha and Marathwada through various irrigation projects. These include lift irrigation schemes and river linking projects like Nalganga-Wainganga and Nar Par Girnar.
He also addressed the flooding issues in cities like Pune and Mumbai. Pune’s natural terrain and heavy rains, along with the release of water from dams, led to flooding. In Mumbai, the city’s geography and ocean tides contribute to the problem. Despite consulting experts, the government finds it challenging to resolve these natural issues.
Earlier in July, Maharashtra experienced continuous rainfall, causing floods in several cities. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray attributed Pune’s flash floods to the riverfront development project.
Doubts Revealed
Deputy CM -: Deputy CM stands for Deputy Chief Minister. He is the second-highest-ranking official in the state government, just below the Chief Minister.
Ajit Pawar -: Ajit Pawar is a politician in Maharashtra, a state in India. He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Caste Census -: A caste census is a survey to count the number of people belonging to different social groups or castes. This helps the government make better policies for everyone.
Zero-interest loans -: Zero-interest loans are loans where you don’t have to pay any extra money as interest. This helps farmers because they only have to pay back the amount they borrowed.
Waiving electricity bills -: Waiving electricity bills means that the government is allowing people not to pay their electricity bills for a certain period. This helps people save money.
Free electricity -: Free electricity means that the government is providing electricity without charging any money. This is especially helpful for farmers who need electricity for their work.
Water management projects -: Water management projects are plans and actions taken to use water resources efficiently. This is important in areas that suffer from drought, where there is not enough water.
Drought-affected areas -: Drought-affected areas are places where there is very little rain, causing water shortages. This makes it hard for people, especially farmers, to get enough water.
Flooding issues -: Flooding issues refer to problems caused by too much water, usually from heavy rains, which can cause damage to homes, roads, and other places.
Natural causes -: Natural causes are reasons for events that happen because of nature, like heavy rains causing floods, rather than human actions.
