BJP MLA Ashish Shelar seeks probe into MVA govt's efforts to retain Vedanta-Foxconn project

Ashish Shelar. File Pic

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar on Wednesday demanded a probe by a retired judge to assess the exact measures undertaken by the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to retain the Vedanta-Foxconn project, a day after the joint entity signed a deal with the Gujarat government for setting up the mega semi-conductor plant.

MVA members Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress have severely criticised the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government over the project, which was earlier proposed in Maharashtra, going to Gujarat.

A retired judge should be appointed to probe the exact efforts undertaken by the then MVA government to retain the Vedanta-Foxconn project investment in Maharashtra. The details like minutes of the meetings held, subsidies offered by the state Industries ministry should be made public,¿ Shelar told reporters.

He said the inquiry committee should also probe and disclose the number of meetings held between the delegation of Vedanta and the then state government.

"The comparison between the offers made by the Gujarat government and the erstwhile Maharashtra government should also be disclosed. Let the facts be presented in black and white,¿ the BJP MLA said.

Shelar alleged the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray was trying to put a spanner in the works initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, he said has envisaged the importance of growing market of semi-conductor across the world.

Also Read: Vedanta-Foxconn project going to Gujarat is part of conspiracy: NCP MP Sule

A political blame game started after Vedanta-Foxconn signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government on Tuesday to set up a semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in the state.

As per the MoU, the joint venture of the Indian conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn will set up a semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in the state.

Vedanta-Foxconn would invest Rs 1,54,000 crore to set up the facility, which is expected to create one lakh job opportunities.

The plant was earlier supposed to be set up in Maharashtra and the previous MVA government had held several rounds of discussions with Foxconn, an NCP spokesperson had said.

Shiv Sena leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray had said the project was almost finalised by the then government and said the current dispensation has lost the confidence of potential investors.

Earlier in the day, state Industries Minister Uday Samant alleged the then MVA government was responsible for the loss as it sat on the project offer for seven months whereas the new government approved incentives worth Rs 38,831 crore in July.

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