After the backlash, come investments in Maharashtra

CM Shinde with Dy CM Fadnavis. The latter’s flagship water conservation project, Jalyukt Shivar, that took off when he was CM has been revived. File pic/Rane Ashish

Reeling under the backlash that followed the shift of some big ticket projects to neighbouring states such as Gujarat, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday approved investment proposals worth Rs 70,000 crore.

The cabinet sub-committee of industry, which met under the stewardship of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, reviewed the proposals that are expected to create 55,000 jobs across the state, including in developed Nashik and Pune, and the backward Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. Pune region will get a Rs 10,000-cr electric vehicle plant, the first of its kind in the country. The remote and Maoist-hit Gadchiroli has been given a steel plant worth Rs 20,000 crore.

The approvals came considering the demands and recommendations from various sectors. A special emphasis will be given on underdeveloped regions where employment is scarce. Gadchiroli and neighbouring Chandrapur are among such districts where three major projects will come up. One will be a coal gasification unit of New Era company which will produce green hydrogen, methanol, ammonia and urea. Lloyd metals and energy will set up a R20,000-cr steel plant in Gadchiroli.

Also Read: Maharashtra cabinet approves Devendra Fadnavis' pet project 'Jalyukt Shivar' scheme for water conservation

The EV project in Pune will have an investment of Rs 10,000 cr by Mahindra and Mahindra (in collaboration with Volkswagen). The intellectual property created here will be titled ‘Made in Maharashtra'. Central Vidarbha's cotton belt of Amravati and second capital Nagpur will get impetus for its textile industry through Indo Rama's investment of Rs 2,500 cr.

Other projects cleared on Tuesday were Nipro Pharma's production units for pharmaceutical glass tubing, clear glass tubing, dark amber glass tubing, syringe and cartridge tubing. It will be the first of its kind in Maharashtra. Reliance Life Sciences Nashik will invest R4,200 cr in making plasma protein, vaccines and gene therapy medicine.

Jalyukta shivaar revived

Fadnavis's flagship water conservation project that took off when he was the CM between 2014 and 2019 has been revived. The project will now be known as Jalyukta Shivaar 2.0 in which 5,000 more villages have been added. In the previous edition, 39 lakh hectares land was provided water for agricultural purpose. The project is based on government-farmers' partnership.