Stressing that his government was an industry-friendly one, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said that his government was taking several decisions to boost industry in the State by approving investment projects worth ₹70,000 crore.
On his first visit to Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts in the Konkan after assuming power in June this year, Mr. Shinde lashed out at Uddhav Thackeray’s rival Shiv Sena faction and the Opposition MVA alliance over the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute by underscoring his role in previous agitations.
“I was in jail during this agitation [border dispute]. Where were you people at this time? We have taken decisions so that no one can touch a hair on the head of Marathi-speaking people in border districts,” said Mr. Shinde, addressing a public rally in Ratnagiri in the evening.
With the verdant Konkan belt a vital stronghold of both the Sena factions after Mumbai city, a veritable show of strength was staged by Mr. Shinde’s camp - the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena - to root out pockets of Mr. Thackeray’s supporters in the Konkan ahead of the crucial local body election in the State.
Throwing down the gauntlet to Mr. Thackeray, Mr. Shinde justified his intra-party ‘revolt’ and subsequent alliance with the BJP which toppled Mr. Thackeray’s erstwhile tripartite MVA coalition government.
Staking claim to be the true keeper of late Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s ‘Hindutva’ ideals, Mr. Shinde, without naming either Uddhav or his son Aaditya Thackeray, said: “Some people [the Thackeray clan] cannot bear that an ordinary person like me has become CM. They think only scions born with a platinum spoon had the right to the top post in the State.”
The CM further remarked that Mr. Thackeray needed to introspect why so many people had left his side.
“One, two or even five people can be wrong. But 50 MLAs have left with a common resolution and we are forging ahead with Balasaheb’s ideals. We are Balasaheb’s soldiers. There was a unique bond between Balasaheb and the Konkan. His Hindutva ideals are with us. Whoever tries to erase them by allying with other parties, the people of Konkan will not forgive them,” Mr. Shinde said, in a jibe at Mr. Thackeray’s ideologically opposed alliance with the Congress and the NCP.
In a bid to offset the Opposition’s criticisms of big-ticket investments moving out of Maharashtra, the CM said that he, along with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis were determined to give every facility to boosting industry in Maharashtra.
“Even when we had taken the oath, we had decided to give every facility and subsidies to help industry grow in Maharashtra by which youth will not remain unemployed. We have linked up with many industrialists and industrial outfits. Employment generation is a priority for our government and we respect students and their education. Our government is committed to youth having jobs in hand,” said Mr. Shinde, adding that in the last two days, the government’s Cabinet sub-committee had given approval to investment projects worth ₹70,000 crore which was expected to give employment to over 55,000 youth.
Hinting that his government was fully behind restarting the refinery project in the Konkan, Mr. Shinde said his administration would do everything to clear the backlogs of previous governments, be they improving roads, developing beaches or encouraging fisheries.
Mr. Shinde, accompanied by three MLAs from the Konkan – Ministers Deepak Kesarkar and Uday Samant and legislator Yogesh Kadam, inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth ₹800 crore.
