Improve intelligence to thwart blasts: Pawar

Mumbai, Aug 4 (IANS) Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Saturday called upon the Maharashtra government to improve its intelligence set-up to prevent a repeat of the serial blasts in Pune earlier in the week.

"This is the second time in two years that blasts have taken place in Pune, this time it is fortunate that there were no casualties. Repeated blasts like this are not good for the state," Pawar told reporters here.

Pune was rocked by four low-intensity blasts Wednesday in which one person was injured, while a blast in the German Bakery Feb 13, 2010 killed 17 people and injured another 64, including several foreigners.

Criticising the lapses by the state home department - headed by his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) colleague and Home Minister R.R. Patil - Pawar called for result-oriented decisions.

"The intelligence department must keep its eyes and ears on alert always to prevent such occurrences," he said.

Pawar earlier attended a meeting of his party to review the situation arising out of deficient rainfall in the state.

Expressing concern over the less rains, Pawar assured all support from the central government to the state to combat the looming drought-like situation.

Pawar lauded Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's efforts which have ensured sufficient water for drinking and irrigation in his state and said similar initiatives must be taken even in Maharashtra.