The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday mounted a sharp attack on the Centre and the Maharashtra government, alleging that the “double-engine” dispensation was indifferent to the state’s deepening agrarian crisis as prolonged dry spells push large parts of Maharashtra towards drought.

The Thackeray camp, in the party mouthpiece Saamana, warned that if forecasts prove accurate, nearly 90 per cent of the state will face an acute drought crisis within the next two months. Driven by global El Niño conditions, over 350 districts nationwide are experiencing similar dry spells, raising serious alarms over impending shortages of food grains and drinking water. The editorial questioned whether the “double-engine” government cares about the unfolding calamity.

The editorial detailed how nature has dealt a crushing blow to Maharashtra’s farming community. Rains have taken a back seat in 31 out of the state’s 36 districts, leaving standing crops in a precarious state as agricultural fields dry up and scorch under extended heat. Barring an occasional light shower, the region has suffered a dry spell lasting 30 to 45 days, devastating local farmers. While pre-monsoon warnings had flagged potential rainfall deficits due to the “El Niño Effect,” the editorial highlighted that even meteorologists under-budgeted the sheer severity of its impact. Up to 18 districts in the state have missed out on a normal monsoon altogether.

According to the editorial, monsoon rains arrived nearly 15 days late this year. A dry June was followed by heavy downpours in July, which forced delayed sowings across key belts by a full month. While regions like Mumbai, Pune, Western Maharashtra, and Nashik saw heavy isolated spells during July, rainfall halted across the state from the first week of August and has failed to resume. The initial July rain brought temporary relief, spurring crop growth. However, just as crops entered their critical flowering stage — with soybean forming pods, cotton developing bolls, and maize growing ears — the water supply dried up.

Farmers with wells attempted to irrigate fields using accumulated July reserves, but with those sources now fully depleted, saving standing crops has become nearly impossible, said the editorial.

The editorial emphasised that dryland farmers without irrigation infrastructure have suffered the most severe damage. Cash crops such as soybean, cotton, maize, pigeon pea (tur), and turmeric have withered across lakhs of hectares, while pulse crops like black gram (udid) and green gram (moong) are completely ruined. The traditional month of Shravan, which typically brings intermittent showers, passed without a single drop of rain in many parts — a phenomenon unseen in decades. Once-vibrant fields have turned yellow, stunting crop growth, wiping out financial investments, and rendering months of hard labor useless, it said.

Over 50 lakh hectares in Vidarbha and 48 lakh hectares in Marathwada were sown this season. Faced with withered crops, desperate farmers in several pockets have begun plowing over standing crops to prepare land for the upcoming Rabi season, said the editorial.

However, with early September passing without rainfall, anxiety is growing over whether winter crops like wheat and Bengal gram (harbhara) can even be planted. At the same time, fodder availability for cattle has reached a critical stage. With fields parched, farmers face an agonising dilemma on how to secure sorghum and maize fodder to keep livestock alive over the next seven to eight months, stated the editorial.

Against this backdrop, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has urged the government to immediately launch water management plans and pre-drought relief measures rather than operating in denial while the rural economy faces an unprecedented collapse.

Mumbai, Sep 4: The political crossfire surrounding the probe into former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s fatal plane crash intensified on Friday, as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar launched a sharp attack on the ruling MahaYuti government and targeted the 40 MLAs belonging to the rival NCP faction.

Questioning the political leverage and intent of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction within the MahaYuti coalition government, Rohit Pawar criticised their inability to secure a formal investigation despite writing to their own administration.

“40 MLAs from Ajit Pawar’s party (NCP) had demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the crash, and they even had to send a reminder letter for it. It is unfortunate that even after sending a reminder to your own government, it gets thrown into the dustbin,” the NCP-SP MLA said while addressing the media.

“If these people had any self-respect, they would have walked out of power immediately. Not everyone possesses self-respect; you have to struggle to maintain it, and that is precisely what we are doing.”

The fresh barrage comes a day after current Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Sunetra Pawar responded to concerns raised by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule over the non-registration of a formal First Information Report (FIR).

Sunetra Pawar had cautioned against politicising the tragedy, saying that the Pawar family and the NCP-SP maintained “full faith in the investigating agencies”.

Sule had earlier mounted a scathing attack on the state government over official apathy, contrasting the swift law-and-order actions taken against political leaders like Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena Chief Amit Thackeray, with the lack of progress in registering an FIR for her late brother’s fatal crash.

Reiterating his family and personal ties to the late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Rohit Pawar emphasised that his demand for a rigorous inquiry was rooted in both family duty and public interest.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar said, “I am a member of the Pawar family. My surname is Pawar, and the person who passed away was my uncle. As a nephew, it is my effort to see that justice is served to him.

“When a major leader of the state dies under such circumstances, millions of people across Maharashtra, including myself, want a proper investigation. Unfortunately, those in the (MahaYuti) government who called (Ajit Pawar) ‘Dada’ their friend have still failed to deliver justice.”

He also accused the state administration of ignoring their repeated efforts to register a case locally.

“We visited three different places in the state to file an FIR regarding the accident, but no attention was paid to us,” he alleged, warning that “if an FIR in this matter ends up being registered in Karnataka instead, the state (Maharashtra) government should feel ashamed”.

While Rohit Pawar said that he postponed a scheduled press conference where he intended to present new evidence due to additional incoming details, his remarks underscore a growing verbal feud between the rival factions of the Pawar family and the MahaYuti coalition government.

With opposition leaders pledging to take the fight forward independently, the political manoeuvering over the investigation shows no signs of abating.

Pune, Sep 4: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said Pune is rapidly emerging as the country’s leading hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with more than 130 centres currently operational and the number expected to cross 800 in the coming years.

He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to positioning Pune as the preferred destination for GCC investments in India. The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of Magnum Ice Cream Company’s Global Business Solutions Centre.

Highlighting that Maharashtra has emerged as the preferred investment hub for Global Capability Centers in India, CM Fadnavis noted that the enthusiastic response from multinational corporations establishing global business centers in Pune is a testament to the city’s business-friendly environment and skilled talent pool.

The Chief Minister explained that Magnum’s Pune centre will generate more than 1,000 direct job opportunities alongside boosting indirect employment. To optimise the company’s global business operations, the facility will integrate artificial intelligence, automated technologies, logistics, and other advanced solutions to streamline manufacturing, distribution, and customer experience operations.

“When the government and the industry collaborate, it creates a robust ecosystem that accelerates investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The state government remains committed to providing all necessary support and a conducive climate for businesses investing in Maharashtra,” he stated.

He further added that this Global Business Solutions Centre in Pune, operating alongside the regional headquarters in Mumbai, will chart a new direction for Magnum’s expansion in Maharashtra. Active measures are being taken to strengthen physical infrastructure across Pune’s industrial sectors — with a special focus on resolving IT infrastructure challenges in Hinjawadi — to make the region an even more attractive destination for GCCs.

Industry department principal secretary Dr P. Anbalagan noted that Global Capability Centres are not merely office spaces, but crucial engines driving the nation’s economic momentum. India has established itself as a global leader in the GCC space, with Maharashtra and Pune playing a pivotal role in this expansion. In Pune alone, demand for commercial office space by GCCs reached approximately 6 million square feet over the past 15 months, while 130 new or expanded GCC units were set up across the state over the last 18 months.

He added that the state government has set a target of hosting 400 GCC companies and over 700 units in the coming period. Currently, Pune hosts operations from companies representing over 30 countries across 20 sectors, employing nearly 10,000 professionals.

Investment and Policy Advisor to the CM, Kaustubh Dhavse, remarked that the relationship between Magnum Ice Cream Company and the Government of Maharashtra is built on trust, reliability, and mutual respect. He added that the Indian-origin executive leadership steering the company globally brings inspiring experience.

In his opening address, Abhijit Bhattacharya, CFO of Magnum Ice Cream Company, credited the state government’s rapid decision-making process for making the global business centre a reality in a short time frame.

He cited Maharashtra’s robust industrial ecosystem, superior connectivity, and proactive administration as key factors in selecting Pune.

Bhattacharya commended CM Fadnavis’s vision to make Maharashtra a premier hub for global business centres and expressed the company’s intent to collaborate with the state on sustainable dairy systems, while also bringing the global ice cream brand ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ to India.