Newly inducted union ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday kick-started Jan Ashirwad Yatra with Union Minister of State for Health Dr Bharati Pawar slamming the State government for complaining over lack of supply of Covid-19 vaccines.
“Maharashtra received the highest number of Covid-19 vaccines from the central government. Despite that the State government keeps on complaining about lack of supply of vaccines,” Ms. Pawar said, while kick-starting her part of the yatra from the tribal area of Palghar district.
With the Yatra, Ms. Pawar said she intends to spread awareness about vaccination in rural areas of the State and understand the problems. “We want to ensure that everyone gets the benefits of health services. I am travelling to find out if the Centre’s schemes are reaching the villages or not. I will make district officials answerable if I see lacunae in health services,” she said.
Along with Ms. Pawar, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Kapil Patil, Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad too kick-started the yatra from their respective routes. Mr. Patil will travel 570 km in Thane and Raigad districts and Mr. Karad will travel 623 km through the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Marathwada.
Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane will begin his Yatra on August 19 from Mumbai and cover 650 km, spanning the areas under the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation and Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.
A disgruntled Pankaja Munde on Monday joined Mr. Karad during his tour in Beed district, which is the home turf of the former. At one point, Ms. Munde lost her temper over the sloganeering of BJP workers who shouted, ‘Pankaja Munde Aamdar, baki sab angar-bhangar.’ “Have I taught you such level of sloganeering? Stop this right now. What kind of slogan is this? Change the slogan to Gopinath Munde amar rahe,” she said.
