Opposition claims about handing over 'Mahanand' to Gujarat politically driven: Ajit Pawar

Pic: PTI File

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said that the opposition in the state is making false allegations over Mahanand Dairy, a state government undertaking, for political gains.

Speaking to reporters after attending district-level meetings of various departments and the local governing body in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pawar said, "The opposition has alleged that Mahanand is being handed over to the National Dairy Development Board, based at Anand in Gujarat. It is absolutely false," he said.

A venture of Maharashtra State Cooperative Milk Federation Limited, Mahanand has incurred losses in the recent past, newswire PTI reported. "Even I was once a director of Mahanand. At that time, the fixed deposits of this institution had reached Rs 150 crore," said the senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader.

"Later, the management, elected by milk producers, could not handle Mahanand. We also encouraged Mahanand to meet their losses by making powdered milk. But it didn't work out. The state will take a further decision (over Mahanand)," Pawar said.

The opposition claims that Maharashtra is handing over Mahanand to a Gujarat-based entity is politically driven. It is being alleged that the resignations of Mahanand directors were taken forcefully, he said. "If that is the case, they should go to the police and file complaints," Pawar said.

The deputy CM also talked about a water pipeline scheme from Jayakwadi dam to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city. "The local governing body (municipal corporation) won't be able to pay back if we provide a soft loan (of nearly 800 crore). The state cabinet will take a further decision over it," he said.

On February 19, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray slammed the incumbent three-party government in Maharashtra under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saying the state is lagging behind in terms of employment and industrial investment.

He claimed that Eknath Shinde, then a cabinet minister in Maha Vikas Aghadi government, had come to the residence of the Thackeray's (Matoshree), in May 2022, and cried over the shoulders of the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. "Shinde urged Uddhavji to save him from the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and told him that the BJP will implicate him in cases and put him in jail," Aaditya said, according to newswire PTI. (With inputs from PTI)