Jalna, October 17: Maharashtra minister Atul Save has drawn flak from the Opposition for allegedly touring rain-affected villages in Jalna district in a decorated bullock cart to assess crop damages.

Save, who is the guardian minister of Jalna district, toured the rain-affected villages in Badnapur and Ambad tehsils along with local MLA Narayan Kuche on Sunday. Opposition leaders, however, criticised the minister for touring the affected areas in a decorated bullock cart. Maharashtra Floods: Efforts Underway To Evacuate People of Flood-Affected Areas to Safer Places, Says CM Eknath Shinde.

Accusing the minister of being insensitive towards farmers, Shiv Sena MLC and Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve said it seemed as though Save was going to attend some celebration or festival. Maharashtra Floods: 164 Dead After Heavy Rainfall Triggers Floods, Landslides in Several Districts; Kolhapur, Raigad, Sangli, Ratnagiri Worst Affected.

Speaking to reporters, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) chief Raju Shetti said that instead of comforting and providing relief to farmers who faced crop losses, the minister had rubbed salt into their wounds.

According to authorities, Badnapur and Ambad tehsils received 130 mm and 133 mm rainfall respectively. Crops such as soybean, pulses and vegetables were destroyed due to excess rainfall in the district.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)