Sunday, August 14 2005 11:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Narsingwadi, (Kolhapur Dist): Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday (Aug 13, 2005) asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to prepare a specific package for the people of the areas worst-affected by the recent floods.

Gandhi, on a day's visit to the state's flood-affected areas, also asked Deshmukh, who was accompanying her, to urgently look into the problems faced by the people.

At Narsingwadi village in Shirol taluka of Kolhapur district, one of the badly affected areas, Gandhi interacted with the affected people, who narrated their plight due to the floods which washed away their houses, crops and cattle, gram panchayat president Bibrani Gawli told sources in Narsingwadi. She assured them that the State Government would extend all possible help and directed Deshmukh to come out with a package for the worst-affected areas like Shirol.

Gandhi, who was earlier scheduled to visit Takaliwadi, had cancelled her programme and came to Shirol village directly.