Aurangabad, April 26:
“I have worked as Education Minister in the State for some years. There is no other work difficult than this. Teachers' unions and their leaders raise different demands. Education Minister cannot say ‘no or yes’ to them because of the insufficient budget for the department. When the portfolio was being reshuffled, I had requested Shankarrao Chavan to allot me Agriculture Department instead of Education if he wanted to induct me into the Cabinet. I heaved a sigh of relief from my point of view on getting a portfolio of Agriculture Department,” said Sharad Pawar, MP and NCP chief.
He was speaking in a programme organised at MGM's Rukmini Hall on Tuesday to distribute books to 3,300 schools in Marathwada. The 11.61 lakh books were made available from Rs 10.31 crore discretionary fund of MLC Vikram Kale. Out of this, books worth Rs 1.27 crore will be distributed to 487 schools in the district. The books were distributed to the representatives of six schools in today’s programme.
The NCP appreciated Kale’s exemplary planning of funds and book distribution activities to increase knowledge and the reading culture is commendable.
Pawar presented a cheque of Rs 50,000 to Sonali Chavan whose husband Vinod, a teacher by profession, died of Covid.
Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde, MLCs Satish Chavan and Ambadas Danve, MGM chairman Kamalkishor Kadam, MGM University Chancellor Ankushrao Kadam, former legislator Amarsingh Pandit, Dr Kalyan Kale, Kailas Patil, Sanjay Daund, Anil Sable, Dr Balasaheb Pawar, M K Deshmukh, Jaishree Chavan were present. Earlier, Vikram Kale made an introductory speech. Ramesh Thakur conducted the proceedings while Pradip Vikhe proposed a vote of thanks.