New Delhi, Aug 21: Downplaying resignations of senior Congress leaders Vasant Sathe and N K P Salve on Vidarbha issue, Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said that his government has been paying attention to remove backwardness of the region. "Sathe and salve are very senior leaders who have served Maharashtra. One has to assess what impact there leaving has," Shinde told reporters when asked to comment on the likely impact on Congress of the two leaders leaving the party to form a regional outfit to press for a separate 'Vidarbha'.
He, however, insisted that his government was taking steps for making funds available for development works in 'Vidharbha' and added that he had himself talked to the Governor on the issue.
Parrying question on separate 'Vidarbha', Shinde said that he had recommended to the party high command formation of a separate committee for the region when he was PCC president in 1996.

He said that he had a meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi but the 'Vidarbha' issue did not come up for discussion.

Bureau Report