Maharashtra going 'backwards': Aaditya Thackeray slams Eknath Shinde over Tata-Airbus project

The Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has been facing flak after a consortium of European aviation firm Airbus and the Tata group selected Gujarat for a Rs 22,000-crore project to manufacture military aircraft.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday (October 29, 2022) slammed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for the loss of the Tata-Airbus project and said that Maharashtra was going backwards because of his "betrayal" and "demonic ambition". Addressing a press conference, Aaditya,  a former Maharashtra minister, said his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had "worked perfectly well" with the Centre than the current dispensation.

"When we talk about the double engine government during the time of the MVA government, our double engine with the Centre worked perfectly well," Aaditya, whose father Uddhav Thackeray leads a faction of the Shiv Sena, said at a press conference. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), notably, uses the term "double engine government" for the party or its ally's government at the Centre and the state.

"After this unconstitutional government came to power, one engine has failed and whatever investment that was to come to Maharashtra is going to other states," Aaditya said.

He further said that Subhash Desai, who served as the state industries minister from 2014-2022, had brought in investments worth Rs 6.6 lakh crore during his tenure.

"When we went to Davos, myself, Desai and Nitin Raut could bring in investment to the tune of Rs 80,000 crore," he stated.

"The important aspect is that it was the same Central government. So, if the MVA government and the Centre could work and bring investment to Maharashtra, then why did their engine fail?" he asked.

The Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has been facing flak after a consortium of European aviation firm Airbus and the Tata group selected Vadodara in Gujarat for a Rs 22,000-crore project to manufacture military aircraft.

Aaditya claimed that this was the fourth major project for which other states were chosen over Maharashtra.

The Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor project, the Medical Device Park, the Bulk Drugs Park and Tata-Airbus projects were planned in Maharashtra, but have now chosen other states, he said.

"No investor has any faith in the government. Be it law and order, investment or agriculture, the focus is only on politics," he said.

Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA did not take 'any decision': Maha minister on Tata-Airbus project

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant on Saturday said that the erstwhile MVA government under Uddhav Thackeray did not take any decision on the Tata-Airbus military transport aircraft project.

Samant said no meeting on the project was held with Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, the state government's nodal investment promotion agency, while talks had taken place at the "local level" with MIHAN, also called Multi-Modal International Passenger and Cargo Hub Airport at Nagpur.

"No discussion was held by the (previous) government with regards to Airbus. I can say with responsibility there is no official mention at the government level with Airbus regarding the (aircraft) plant," Samant reiterated at a press conference here.

Speaking on the Vedanta Foxconn semiconductor project, which too moved to Gujarat, Samant said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had called the joint venture and asked them to execute a memorandum of understanding, while the previous MVA government had done nothing on the issue.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had met officials of the firm in Mumbai, he added.

Attacking the previous government under Uddhav Thackeray, Samant said 74 MOUs were signed but none took off, while approval for a proposal for a Rs 25,638 paper plant in the state was given on October 20 by the Shinde dispensation.

He further said the Shinde government was taking efforts to revive the bulk drugs park project proposed to be set up in Raigad by taking the local population in confidence, while the previous MVA dispensation had done nothing to get the project to take off.

The minister reiterated that a "big project" that will generate employment will be brought to the state in the coming months.

He also said the state government was making efforts to revive a multi-billion dollar refinery project in Barsu in Konkan's Ratnagiri district in place of the Nanar plan that was called off due to protests.

Maharashtra will get major big-ticket investments in coming days: Eknath Shinde

Amid the blame game between the government and Opposition over the 'loss' of the Tata consortium-Airbus project, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the state will get major investments in the coming days.

"In the coming days, the state will get major industries," Shinde said at a function. 

"There has been a discussion going on about the industries in the state and our industries minister is speaking on this issue. I don't want to comment on it. (But) The government will not fall short in generating employment for the youth," he added.

(With agency inputs)