Headlines
Sonia Gandhi meets rain affected farmers in Rajasthan
Jaipur, March 20
Congress president Sonia
Gandhi on Friday visited Rajasthan where she met rain and hailstorm
affected farmers and assured them that she would take up their plight
with the state and central governments.
Gandhi, who was on a
day-long tour, arrived by a chartered plane in Jhalawar from where she
boarded a helicopter for Kota district.
"Soon after arriving in
Kota, she went to Darbiji and Morpa villages where a large number of
farmers met her and showed her the losses they suffered because of
untimely rain and hailstorms," a Congress leader said.
Villagers told her that their crop has been destroyed and there would be a problem of food and fodder in the coming days.
"I
am pained after looking at the destruction and the Congress would raise
the plight of farmers and certainly request the state and central
governments to provide relief to you," Gandhi told the farmers.
Former
chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress state unit president Sachin
Pilot, All India Congress Committee general secretary Gurudas Kamat and
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Rameshwar Dudi accompanied
her.
Kota and nearby districts have been worst affected by rain and hailstorms that hit the desert state last week.
State government officials said 25 people have died and 50 percent or more crops in over 3,000 villages have been damaged.