Sharad Pawar attacks colleagues, Centre over inflation

Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that he was being targeted over inflation and expressed dismay at his cabinet colleagues and the Congress leadership.

“The country has been fighting inflation since 1952, and every finance minister has faced the crisis. But, for last three years, the agriculture minister is being held accountable for it,” he said. He was addressing a meeting of the extended working committee members at Nariman Point.

Pawar claimed that the quantum of rotting food grains had declined during his tenure.

“Wastage of foodgrains has been because of the shortage of godowns. However, the loss has come down to Rs3 crore last year from Rs40 crore in 2004-05 and Rs22 crore in 2006-07,” he said, adding, “We have been distributing wheat to 12 crore economically weaker persons at Rs2 per kg and to 40 crore BPL persons at Rs3, bearing the huge gap between market price and subsidised rates. The free distribution of food grains will lead to a fall in the procurement prices of food grains.”

Pawar also took Jayant Patil and RR Patil to task. “Party leaders should sort out their own issues and not make the central leadership intervene,” he said.

The duo has been squabbling over politics in their hometown, Sangli, for the last few months.
Commenting on the proposed Navi Mumbai airport, he said that the lack of connectivity may impede the state’s progress.

Pawar also accused leader of opposition Eknath Khadse  of using his constitutional position to collude with builders.

He criticised Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, who had attacked Pawar over the shifting of the statue of Dadoji Konddev from Lal Mahal in Pune. “Instead of issuing orders to workers, they should fight elections,” he said.