Amid an ongoing war of words over mega projects in Maharashtra, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, said that the state has approved an electronic manufacturing cluster (EMC) project at a whopping Rs 492.85 crore. Centre has promised that Maharashtra will be an electronic hub, he said, while addressing a press conference. Fadnavis further added that a textile park is also in the pipeline.
“This proposal is in the final stage… In the last 3 months, there is a fake narrative doing the rounds that we are economically weak… (This is) completely false and fabricated,” Fadnavis said. He alleged that during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rule, there was ‘corruption and corruption only, with many of their leaders getting arrested’.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was an alliance of the ideologically opposed Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
“There is going to be 25,000 crore investment in the state. It’s going to bring employment opportunities to lakhs of youth,” Fadnavis said. Earlier during the day, he took to Twitter and announced the modalities of the EMC in Maharashtra.
“This will create robust electronics manufacturing ecosystem in Maharashtra. This Electronics Manufacturing Cluster at Ranjangaon will be spread across 297.11 acre and Rs 492.85 crore will be spent on development. Rs 207.98 crore is GoI’s contribution,” Devendra Fadnavis tweeted in his comment on the Maharashtra Electronic Manufacturing Cluster located at Ranjangaon in Pune.
MVA was informed a year ago that the deal has already gone to Gujarat: Devendra Fadnavis
Launching an attack on the MVA government, Fadnavis said that the Tatas were looking at Gujarat for Tata Airbus deal as early as 2021. “The details of this is there in every newspaper. MVA was informed a year ago that the deal has already gone to Gujarat. Work to build the factory had started long back. Fake narrative is being created that we are responsible for project going to Gujarat. The big refinery project will also come up in Maharashtra. It is not scrapped,” he added.
Pledging that his government will make maharashtra the number 1 investing destination, Fadnavis said that investors never felt Maharashtra was a safe place to invest due to corruption during MVA regime. “Irrespective of the regime, how can you stop a corporation that wants to invest in a different State?” he asked.
The ongoing debate over mega projects in Maharashtra began after the Vendanta Foxconn project went to Gujarat earlier this year. The opposition had slammed the Eknath Shinde government in the state and blamed it for losing the employment opportunities in the state.
“Earlier, an important Vedanta group project was planned in Ratnagiri. However, it was shifted out of state after opposition from locals. Thus, it is not the first time that Vedanta had backed out so personally, I am never sure of the group setting up its unit in the state till it actually happens,” NCP chief Sharad Pawar who has now been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital due to deteriorating health had said in September.
