DOMBIVLI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the Shiv Sena would extend assistance to drought-hit farming families, including providing sewing machines to women for self-employment, financial support for the marriages of farmers’ daughters and Diwali ration kits to affected households.Shinde announced that trucks carrying Diwali ration kits would be dispatched to drought-affected areas on the day of the Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally.He said the party stood firmly with farmers facing hardship and would make efforts to help them overcome the crisis.He was speaking after visiting the Sharadiya Navratri festival organised by the Dr Shrikant Shinde Foundation and Shri Navdurga Yuva Mandal at the DNC school grounds in Dombivli.The festival was organised at the initiative of Kalyan MP Dr Shrikant Shinde.The organisers have opted for bhajan sessions and musical programmes instead of the traditional Dandiya events this year. Funds generated through the festival’s activities are being directed towards supporting drought-affected farmers.Shinde offered prayers to the goddess and expressed hope that the drought crisis would ease and bring prosperity to farming families.He also appealed to people from all sections of society to come forward and support farmers struggling with financial difficulties.Emphasising the need to make women from farming families self-reliant, Shinde said sewing machines would be distributed to help them earn a livelihood and contribute to household expenses.The party would also extend assistance for the marriages of daughters from drought-hit farming families, he said.“Maharashtra is the land of saints and hardworking people and has a rich cultural heritage. Through such festivals, we are trying to preserve our traditions through devotional music, bhajans and cultural programmes and pass them on to the next generation,” Shinde said.
