Nagpur, June 17 : Congress has hit out at the Maharashtra government saying that the government has been a silent observer, especially during the critical drought situation in the state.

State unit chief Nana Patole said that the Congress party would corner the state government on the deteriorating drought conditions, loss of lives due to heatstroke and farmers' distress during the upcoming monsoon session of the legislature beginning June 27.

'Although June is coming to an end, it has not yet rained in many parts of the state. People are facing severe drought. People have no water to drink and animals have no fodder. Tanker mafias have been looting the people while the sale of bogus seeds is rampant in the state. Several people have died due to heatstroke in various parts of the state. But the government is nowhere to be seen as it is engaged in issuing tenders, distributing funds and taking commissions. When the state is facing such a dire situation, the ministers of the ruling party are going abroad and enjoying the cold air,' said Patole in his media interaction.

He added that the government should announce how many people died due to heatstroke in the state.

'Ministers have to take the permission of the central government to go abroad. Have the ministers taken such permission? Who is paying for their foreign trip? The government should give answers,' said Patole.

He further said that the party will also grill the government over the recent cases of explosions in various industrial units and hit-and-run cases reported in various parts of Maharashtra. Patole claimed that the government has nothing to do with the lives and deaths of the people.

On the raging controversy over NEET results, Patole said that the future of lakhs of students has become bleak due to NEET paper leak and result confusion.

'Students are protesting at various places but the government has not yet taken its notice. Even in the state, the papers of every recruitment exam are leaked. Unemployed youths are frustrated by these malpractices. The party will raise these issues in the monsoon session,'' he added.

/IANS