Friday, June 30 2006 11:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Nagpur: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here this morning on a two-day visit of the drought-affected Vidarbha region to review the situation on ground level, in the wake of suicides by over 1,600 farmers during last five years.

Singh, who landed here at around 1000 hrs by a special aircraft, immediately left for Dhamangaon in Amravati district where he is scheduled to meet families of farmers who have committed suicides.

At the Nagpur airport, the Prime Minister was received by Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

During the Vidarbha visit, Singh is being accompanied by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Minister in PMO Prithviraj Chauhan and several ministers in the Congress-NCP led Democratic Front government in Maharashtra.

From Dhamangaon, the Prime Minister would fly to Sevagram Ashram near Wardha where Mahatma Gandhi lived after shifting from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. Later, Singh would visit Waifad village in Wardha district and meet family members of farmers who committed suicides.

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister would reach Kolejhari village in Yavatmal district and meet family members of G Pawar, a farmer who committed suicide in May this year.

Singh would return to Nagpur and address a review meeting on Vidarbha's agrarian crisis. The meeting would be attended by ministers, top bureaucrats and lead bankers.

Before leaving for Delhi at seven pm tomorrow, the Prime Minister is expected to announce a relief package for Vidarbha region.