NCP merger row: Neither Sharad Pawar nor Sunetra has approached BJP, says Maharashtra CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said only Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar could clarify whether the two Nationalist Congress Party NCP factions would merge adding that neither leader had informed the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP about any such move reported the PTIHe asserted that any merger would require the BJP to be taken into confidence as the NCP is part of the ruling Mahayuti allianceFadnavis was speaking to reporters at a Diwali gathering hosted at his official residence Varsha in Mumbai where he also addressed the states drought situation water management Mumbais pollution and recent firing incidents allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gangNCP merger speculationAccording to the PTI responding to questions about a possible merger of the two NCP factions Fadnavis said neither Sharad Pawar nor Sunetra Pawar had discussed the proposal with the BJPIf they Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar decide to merge they will come and tell us because the merger cannot happen without us Neither of them has told us anything yet he saidSpeculation about a possible merger gained momentum last week after several leaders of the Sunetra Pawarled NCP including Praful Patel and Parth Pawar met NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar who had recently been hospitalised with a chest infectionThe chief minister also said it would be unfair to compare Sunetra Pawars leadership with that of her late husband Ajit PawarHe described Ajit Pawar as an experienced leader with a deep understanding of Maharashtra and its political landscapeAjit Dada was a leader who had been tested over time He had an immense understanding of Maharashtra and a deep knowledge of the state Sunetra Pawar is now adapting to the situation Comparing her with Ajit Dada would be unfair Fadnavis said the news agency reportedHe added that other senior NCP leaders were collectively managing the partyAjit Pawar who was the deputy chief minister and NCP president died in an air crash on January 28 Sunetra Pawar subsequently took over as the NCP chief and became deputy chief minister in the Mahayuti government which comprises the BJP and Eknath Shindeled Shiv SenaMaharashtra drought reliefAddressing concerns over the drought situation in Maharashtra Fadnavis said the government had already provided advance financial assistance and would announce the final relief package soonWe have already provided advance assistance We will announce the final assistance for farmers soon he saidLast month the state government announced an advance payment of Rs 5000 each for eligible farmers in droughtaffected areas ahead of DiwaliThe chief minister said detailed planning was under way to ensure adequate drinking water and fodder supplies in droughthit regions This includes mapping water sources at the village level and arranging fodder for livestockFadnavis said farmers in orangegrowing regions had raised concerns over restrictions on borewells warning that their existing trees could die without adequate waterThey had also pointed out that fresh orange plantations would take around eight years to yield fruitThe chief minister said he had accepted their demand to allow certain borewellrelated activities until December 15 along with measures to improve groundwater rechargeOn the availability of water tankers he said the government would hire private vehicles whenever required rather than maintain a large fleet throughout the yearHe added that GPS tracking had been introduced to monitor tanker movements and prevent irregularitiesRiverlinking projects can make Maharashtra droughtfreeThe chief minister expressed confidence that ongoing riverlinking projects would help Maharashtra overcome recurring drought conditions in the long runOnce these riverlinking projects are completed there will be no drought It will take seven to eight years but once completed Maharashtra will become droughtfree he said according to the PTIHe referred to projects involving the diversion of surplus floodwater from western Maharashtra transferring water to the Godavari basin and the WaingangaNalganga river linkPune using nearly 16 TMC of water annuallyFadnavis also raised concerns over Punes water consumption saying the city required around 11 TMC thousand million cubic feet annually under prescribed norms but was using nearly 16 TMCHe suggested that the excess consumption could indicate leakages or unauthorised use of waterThe chief minister said the government would not deny Pune additional water if required but stressed that the city needed to rationalise its consumptionMumbai air pollutionOn pollution caused by construction activities in Mumbai Fadnavis said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC had been instructed to enforce standard operating procedures to minimise dust and air pollutionHe also said ongoing tunnel projects in the city would help ease traffic congestion once completedAccording to the chief minister the projects are expected to be completed in the next three to four yearsFadnavis defends Mumbai Police over Bishnoi gang threatsCM Fadnavis defended the Mumbai Police following incidents of firing and threats allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and targeting prominent personalitiesHe described the force as highly professional and said several accused had been arrested in connection with such casesMumbai Police are so professional that after a firing incident they identify the accused track them down and arrest them even after they get off a train Only Mumbai Police can do this he said as per the PTIThe chief minister also dismissed concerns over the gangs activities saying such incidents were largely intended to intimidate peopleLast month two persons allegedly fired at actor Tiger Shroffs car at the behest of a Lawrence Bishnoi gang member according to the Mumbai PoliceThirteen persons have been arrested in connection with the case so far police saidwith PTI inputs