MUMBAI: The Shinde-Fadnavis government is under increasing attack for losing one mega project after another, which could have generated thousands of jobs in Maharashtra, besides projecting it as the investors’ No 1 destination.
On Thursday, Maharashtra lost Tata Airbus project. This was earlier planned for Nagpur in Maharashtra with a total investment of Rs 21.935 crore, facilitating 6,000 jobs. It has now been shifted to Vadodara in Gujarat.
In the last three months, Maharashtra has lost total investments projected at Rs 2.25 lakh crore which could have generated over two lakh jobs. Earlier, Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor chip project was planned at Chakan in Pune in Maharashtra with a total investment worth Rs 1.54 lakh crore generating over one lakh jobs. Maharashtra govt was about to ink the MoU with Vedanta-Foxconn, but it changed its decision at the “last moment”. But this mega project was shifted to Gujarat.
Besides, the bulk drug park project was earlier planned in Raigad district with a total investment of Rs 3,000 crore with a promise to generate 50,000 jobs. It never came. The medical device park project was planned at Aurangabad with a total investment of Rs 424 crore with prospects to generate 10,000 jobs. The project plan of the Maharashtra government was approved by the BJP-led Central government in 2020, but later it informed the state that the project was going to be shifted to other states.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde refused to speak about the ‘loser’ status. The Opposition has demanded the resignation of Shinde and Industry Minister Uday Samant for failing to retain the mega projects in the state. NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said Shinde should take a cue from former British PM Liz Truss and resign immediately for failing in his duty to the state and its people. He alleged Shinde was not able to protect the interests of Maharashtra.
NCP leader and former minister Chhagan Bhujbal said he had written to Ratan Tata in 2021 to set up the Airbus factory in Nasik as it was one of the suitable locations. “If all the job-generating projects are shifted from Maharashtra to Gujarat, then what will the youth of Maharashtra do? The BJP leadership should behave like national leaders, not as Gujarat leaders alone,” Bhujbal said.
Congress leader and former minister for state Satej Patil said there was a deliberate attempt to downsize the importance of Mumbai. “Are BJP’s top leaders planning to make Gujarat a separate country? Why are all big projects shifted to only Gujarat? Why do foreign dignitaries no longer visit India’s financial capital, but frequently visit Gujarat?” Patil asked.
Shiv Sena’s Aditya Thackeray said the “illegal government” was busy in serving their Delhi masters than the people of Maharashtra. “During the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, we brought investments worth Rs 80,000 crore to Maharashtra, but this government is not doing anything,” Thackeray said.
