Maha Cong ministers meet to assess damages of rain-hit regions

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Thorat said heavy crop losses have been reported from parts of the state due to the recent rainfall and ministers from the Congress had reached out to farmers to assess the situation. "Our ministers wanted their observations and issues (on flood situation) to be raised before the chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Maharashtra minister and Congress' state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat on Friday held a meeting with the party's other ministers in the MVA government to assess damages caused by heavy rainfall in parts of the state. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Thorat said heavy crop losses have been reported from parts of the state due to the recent rainfall and ministers from the Congress had reached out to farmers to assess the situation.

"Our ministers wanted their observations and issues (on flood situation) to be raised before the chief minister and deputy chief minister. Hence, we held the meeting. I will discuss these issues with the chief minister," Thorat said. Losses suffered by people in the rain-hit areas are heavy and ministers from the Congress want farmers to get maximum help, he said.

The meeting held at Thorat's office in Mantralaya here was attended by ministers Amit Deshmukh, Nitin Raut, Yashomati Thakur and Varsha Gaikwad, while Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar took part via video conferencing. Heavy rains and floods last week claimed at least 48 lives in Pune, Aurangabad and Konkan divisions, while it is estimated that crops on lakhs of hectares were damaged.