The remarks came in the wake of criticism levelled by the opposition parties in Maharashtra, including the Shiv Sena, after the Shinde-led state government failed to bag the semiconductor plant project worth Rs 1.54 lakh crore (File Photo)Hitting back at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Friday asked the minister to explain how the Vedanta-Foxconn project, which only required an approval from the central government, was shifted out of Maharashtra to Gujarat.
The remarks came in the wake of criticism levelled by the opposition parties in Maharashtra, including the Shiv Sena, after the Eknath Shinde-BJP led state government failed to bag the Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor plant project worth Rs 1.54 lakh crore.
In an editorial in the Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana, the political party stated that Sitharaman should first reply to their queries, and then question and criticise them over the project exit.
“How did the project disappear from Maharashtra when only the approval of the central government was pending,” the editorial stated. “A project like Vedanta was rightfully of Maharashtra, and it could have generated employment for more than a lakh people here, but it was taken away In one swoop. Should not Maharashtrians grieve over this? Should not the Union government be questioned? Before asking us any question, Sitharaman should first answer some of our questions. Was there any protest in Maharashtra against the Vedanta project? When and where did Gujarat ask for the project? How did the project disappear from Maharashtra when only one approval — from the central government — was pending?”
During a press conference in Pune last week, Sitharaman slammed the opposition parties in Maharashtra for “shedding crocodile tears” over the shifting of the Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor plant from the state to Gujarat, and also accused them of creating hurdles for five big-ticket projects during the Uddhav Thackeray led MVA government rule.
“But who were the people who stopped the bullet train project in Maharashtra? Who were the people who stopped a Rs 65,000 crore Wadhvan project in Palghar district? Who stopped the Nanar refinery project, and who created hurdles for the Metro car shed project in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony?” she had asked.
On the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, the Samana editorial mentioned, “A bullet train can travel 100km. It has been observed that it takes 55 seconds to reach the speed per hour, while ‘Vande Bharat Express’ covers the same distance in 53 seconds. Then why do we need a bullet train carrying a debt of Rs 1 lakh
crore in the country?”
Earlier, The Indian Express had reported that the Vedanta-Foxconn demanded a ‘central government alignment’ (approval) from the Maharashtra government for starting a semiconductor facility in the state. In a letter, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had assured the Vedanta group that the state was “moving expeditiously” on the request, and invited the company chairman for a MoU ceremony on July 29.