Mumbai: Despite more than half of Maharashtra reeling under severe drought, the state does not have a full-time agriculture minister who can resolve issues of cattle fodder, scarcity of seeds and fertilisers and deliver relief to farmers. After sharp criticism from the opposition and being overtaken in the field by neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, which recorded 21 per cent growth in agriculture, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is now considering the appointment of a full-time agriculture minister for the state.
Two vacancies in the Fadnavis cabinet are likely to be filled in the upcoming days. Fadnavis hinted that the cabinet berths would be filled before the election code of conduct would be in effect, possibly in the first week of March. “It would only be filling up of vacant berths, not a cabinet expansion,” claimed another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister.
Pandurang Fundkar, who was agriculture minister, died on May 31, 2018. Additional charge of this portfolio was then handed over to senior minister Chandrakant Patil, who is the revenue minister and also handles the public works department (PWD).
Dhananjay Munde, leader of the opposition in the council said, “Patil has the responsibility of two major ministries. How can he do justice to the agriculture ministry? Agriculture is a full-time berth in the cabinet.” Since last June, farmers have suffered a lot, in the absence of a full-time minister. There were issues — cotton growers did not get crop insurance, problems with the supply of seeds and fertilisers and many more.
Now, the state is facing severe drought and a part-time agriculture minister cannot take care of all these issues. Hence, the CM should immediately appoint a full-time minister,” said Munde. Three-time BJP legislator form Jalgaon-Jamod in Buldhana district, Sanjay Kute, is likely to be a replacement for the late Fundkar. An Ayurvedic doctor by profession, he is the party’s state secretary and belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), like Fundkar, and also hails from the same town as Fundkar.
Dr Deepak Sawant, the minister for public health, whose term ended on July 7, 2018, was given an extension of six months. Currently, Sawant is not a member of either the assembly or the council. Legislative provisions stipulate that he ought to have to become a member of either house within the stipulated period of six months. His term extension will end on January 7.
According to Sena insiders, the party leadership is not ready to give him another extension, and is likely to replace him. Dr Sujit Minchekar would be the choice of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, as despite the Modi wave, the Sena won five seats in the sugar belt of Kolhapur district in the 2014 assembly polls. Before the 2019 assembly polls, the Sena chief wants this region to be represented in the state cabinet,” claimed Sena insider. Minchekar is a two-time Sena legislator from Hatkanangale assembly constituency.