Maharashtra BJP leaders should ask Gujarat governement to sign water pact: Jayant Patil

 Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil has said BJP leaders from the state should urge the saffron party-led government in Gujarat to sign the agreement for inter-state water sharing projects.

This will help the Marathwada region also and the Maharashtra government has given preference to solve water problems in the drought-prone region, the irrigation minister told reporters after a meeting with department officials here on Saturday.

Asked about criticism from BJP leaders about no provision made for the Marathwada region in the annual budget of Maharashtra, he said, "Thirty projects are planned and of them, eleven are completed to channelise water towards Marathwada. Seven more such projects will commence in the coming times."

"The BJP leaders, rather than pointing at us, if they think projects for Marathwada are important, they should insist upon their Gujarat leaders to sign the inter-state agreement. This will benefit the drought-prone Marathwada region also," Patil said.

In fact, the Maharashtra government has given preference to the issue of water woes in Marathwada, he said. "We will take care that water from Marathwada does not go to any other region, rather we are planning to bring water to Marathwada," the minister said.