Addressing a press conference, the state Congress chief said Devendra Fadnavis has informed that 61 MoUs were signed entailing investments of Rs 15.70 lakh crore and having the potential to create 15.95 lakh jobs
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Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Friday said the Devendra Fadnavis government must release a White Paper on the investments received and jobs generated from Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed during previous visits to the World Economic Forum in Davos, news agency PTI reported.
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Addressing a press conference, Patole said Fadnavis has informed that 61 MoUs were signed entailing investments of Rs 15.7 lakh crore and having the potential to create 15.95 lakh jobs.
"While significant investments in Maharashtra are welcome, the public has the right to know the specifics of these agreements and the reality behind them. Similar grand announcements have been made in the past as well. The Mahayuti government must release a White Paper on investments and job creation from previous deals at Davos," the Maharashtra Congress President stated.
According to PTI, Patole said that of the 61 companies that have signed agreements with the Maharashtra government in Davos, 51 are based in India, of which 43 are from Mumbai and Pune and only 10 are foreign-based.
These include a Rs 1,500-crore deal signed between City And Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and Book My Show, despite the Mumbai Police investigating the firm for black marketing of Coldplay concert tickets, Patole alleged.
Another agreement was with Hiranandani, a company under probe for preparing fake documents related to demolition activities in Jay Bhim Nagar of Powai, as well as for an Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) scam being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Patole further alleged.
Does BJP-led government want to turn Maharashtra into liquor state: Patole
Is the government encouraging black marketing by collaborating with such firms, he questioned.
He also came down heavily on the Maharashtra government's deal with liquor companies and said that despite Article 47 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in the Constitution asking states to work towards prohibiting consumption of intoxicating drinks etc, the state has signed a Rs 750-crore deal with alcohol manufacturer Heineken and a Rs 1,500 crore deal with beer producer AB InBev.
Does the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led government want to turn Maharashtra into a liquor state, he asked.
According to PTI, speaking about the deal signed with Dhanashree Mandhani's PRYM Company in Jalna, Patole claimed that the target is to produce 6,000 drones and the firm stated it has a 10,000 square-foot factory. However, no such facility exists, he alleged, adding that the company only assembles parts of knocked-down drones imported from abroad.
Patole also stated that while the Maharashtra CM was in Davos, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai visited Mumbai and secured investments worth Rs 6000 crore for his state.
Similarly, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav visited Pune and met entrepreneurs to attract industries to the nenighbouring state, he added.
Stand by Congress amounts to being anti-Maharashtra: BJP leader
Incidentally, MP and Chhattisgarh are ruled by BJP.
The Maharashtra government must bring genuine investments into the state instead of misleading people in the name of Davos, Patole said.
Hitting back at the state Congress chief's allegations, BJP leader Pravin Darekar said that the Congress' stand amounted to being "anti-Maharashtra".
"Maharashtra was the talk of the town in Davos as it was among the six Indian states that took part in the event. The Congress should not level baseless allegations. Patole is making desperate attempts to save his post of state Congress chief," stated Darekar.
"If the Congress takes an anti-Maharashtra stand, then it will continue to lose its support base as was seen the assembly polls," he added.
Meanwhile, Patole also expressed grief over the Bhandara ordnance factory incident and claimed that even defence sector firms are not safe under the Narendra Modi government. Around 10.30 am on Friday, an explosion occurred in the LTP section of the ordnance factory in the Jawahar Nagar area, leading to eight deaths.
"The factory, which manufactures raw materials for RDX, is critical. A thorough investigation into the explosion should be conducted by a committee of MPs (Members of Parliament) from all parties," he demanded.
Asked about Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray hinting at contesting (civic) polls independently, Patole said he welcomed the move.
As the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), Thackeray has the right to decide on his party's strategy, he added.
"Since local body elections have not yet been announced, Congress will make its decisions after consulting office-bearers when the time comes," Patole asserted.
(With PTI inputs)
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