07-11-2006, 06:15 AM
<!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> Pawarâs cricket role faces criticism
- NDTV Correspondent
Monday, July 10, 2006 (New Delhi):
The governing Congress party is unhappy with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's obsession with cricket - while farmers hit by debt continue to commit suicide at alarming rates.
But so far there has been no public comment of Pawar who is the President of the Indian cricket board, the world's richest cricket authority.
In the past 10 days, 20 farmers, unable to repay debts, committed suicide, while Pawar attended a cricket meeting in London that lasted a week.
Key meeting called off
The minister's absence forced postponement of a crucial meeting to discuss strategy to bail out areas such as Vidharba, which depend on the monsoon for irrigation.
"The national rainfed development authority is before the Cabinet. All the concerned ministries were there. But the Agriculture Minister was not present, " said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.
The discussion has been pushed to next week.
Before going to London, Pawar was in Dubai for another ICC meeting and regular BCCI meetings takes him to Mumbai frequently.
At this time the Congress party admits suicides by farmers have done damage to its image.
"I am not blaming in particular, but its a fact that farmer suicides has been damaging to the image of the government," said AICC General Secretary in charge of Maharashtra, Margaret Alva.
But Pawar's allies say he is not the only one to blame.
Communist leader Sitaram Yechuri said, everyone in the government is responsible for the recurrent farmers suicides.
There is also more reason to worry as the Indian sub-continent hosts the cricket World Cup in 2011.
- NDTV Correspondent
Monday, July 10, 2006 (New Delhi):
The governing Congress party is unhappy with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's obsession with cricket - while farmers hit by debt continue to commit suicide at alarming rates.
But so far there has been no public comment of Pawar who is the President of the Indian cricket board, the world's richest cricket authority.
In the past 10 days, 20 farmers, unable to repay debts, committed suicide, while Pawar attended a cricket meeting in London that lasted a week.
Key meeting called off
The minister's absence forced postponement of a crucial meeting to discuss strategy to bail out areas such as Vidharba, which depend on the monsoon for irrigation.
"The national rainfed development authority is before the Cabinet. All the concerned ministries were there. But the Agriculture Minister was not present, " said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.
The discussion has been pushed to next week.
Before going to London, Pawar was in Dubai for another ICC meeting and regular BCCI meetings takes him to Mumbai frequently.
At this time the Congress party admits suicides by farmers have done damage to its image.
"I am not blaming in particular, but its a fact that farmer suicides has been damaging to the image of the government," said AICC General Secretary in charge of Maharashtra, Margaret Alva.
But Pawar's allies say he is not the only one to blame.
Communist leader Sitaram Yechuri said, everyone in the government is responsible for the recurrent farmers suicides.
There is also more reason to worry as the Indian sub-continent hosts the cricket World Cup in 2011.