Sharad Pawar Demands Immediate Action Over Industrial Infrastructure Crisis in Chakan
NCP (Sharad Pawar) supremo Sharad Pawar expressed deep concern on Thursday over reports that around 20 industrial units in the Chakan Industrial Area near Pune are preparing to shift operations due to acute infrastructure shortcomings. Highlighting severe traffic congestion, deteriorating road conditions, erratic power supply, and pollution, Pawar emphasized that Maharashtra’s long-standing status as an investor-friendly hub is being undermined. He reminded the current administration of the vision of Maharashtra’s first Chief Minister, Yashwantrao Chavan, stating that citizens expect state leaders to preserve the state’s industrial strength regardless of political affiliations. Pawar urged the state government to establish a dedicated single-window mechanism to address industrialists’ grievances within a stipulated timeframe.
Industry Minister Uday Samant Refutes Claims and Clarifies Company Closures
Responding to opposition criticism, Maharashtra Industry Minister Uday Samant firmly denied claims that companies were migrating out of Chakan MIDC to neighboring states. Addressing the media, Samant explained that the deregistration of over 36,000 corporate entities across Maharashtra in recent years was part of a routine administrative cleanup by the Central Government targeting non-operational or non-compliant firms, rather than active industrial units shutting down. He noted that similar compliance drives took place in states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. Samant announced an official visit to Chakan on August 16 to meet directly with local industry representatives, address operational challenges, and assess on-ground infrastructure needs, reaffirming that Maharashtra continues to rank first in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows across the country.
Concerns Grow Over Infrastructure Deficits and Employment Security
The political friction follows growing frustrations voiced by local industrial associations in Chakan and Talegaon over severe operational delays caused by potholed roads and unmanaged traffic bottlenecks. Pawar further cited recent parliamentary disclosures revealing that details regarding job losses stemming from corporate deregistrations remain unrecorded, calling the lack of post-closure impact assessments alarming. As industrial bodies push for rapid road widening, enhanced civic coordination, and dedicated industrial infrastructure development on a war footing, the state administration maintains that around 75% to 80% of investment agreements signed at global summits like Davos are actively progressing toward execution across the state.
