Centre promising "bigger" project for Maharashtra is like "convincing a child": Sharad Pawar after Vedanta-Foxconn project goes to Gujarat

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 16 : Fuming over Maharashtra losing the multi-crore Vedanta-Foxconn project to Gujarat, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Thursday criticised Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's leadership and said that the Central government's promise to Shinde to give a "bigger" project to Maharashtra than this is like "convincing a child".
"Since the project has already gone out of Maharashtra, there is no possibility of getting it back. There is no point in talking about it, but for the upcoming projects, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde must lead to creating a favourable environment for the investors," Pawar said in a Press Conference held in Pune.
Pawar further said, "I also heard that the discussion with the Prime Minister was also held where he promised that he will be helping out with some other bigger project to Maharashtra, this is like trying to convince a child".
Notably, Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limited and Taiwan's Foxconn on Tuesday signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Gujarat government for setting up a semiconductor and display FAB manufacturing unit in the state with an investment of over Rs 1.54 lakh crore.
The Vedanta-Foxconn group under the MoU will set up a Display Fab Unit in Gujarat with an investment of Rs 94,500 crore as well as an integrated Semiconductor Fab Unit and OSAT facility in Gujarat with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore.
The two MoUs, together, will bring an investment of more than Rs 1.54 lakh crore and generate around 1 lakh new employment opportunities in the state, stated Jitu Vaghani during the event at a Hotel in Gandhinagar.
The proposed investment, by Vedanta and Foxconn Group, for setting up India's first display manufacturing fab unit and an Integrated Semiconductor fab unit with an OSAT facility will further support the development of upstream and downstream electronics manufacturing clusters and the establishment of healthy trade linkages.
Hitting back at the allegations by the ruling party in the state, "Shinde and Uday Samant are accusing Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for losing the deal, but during MVA government both were in the cabinet, and now they are accusing the same cabinet. It is not a good sign of being smart."
Later, after the deal between the Vedanta-Foxconn and Gujarat, opposition leaders of Maharashtra criticised the state government for letting go of the deal.
Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray accused the Shinde-led Maharashtra government and said, "Although I'm glad to see this in India, I am also a little bit shocked," Thackeray said.
Thackeray further said, "For a project almost finalised, and a new dispensation claiming credit over it, only shows lack of commitment from the new dispensation for our State's progress."
The former Maharashtra Minister said that he himself had worked on the deal and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had almost finalized it.
"Industries Minister Subhash Desai Ji, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and I myself held meetings for bringing this semiconductor project to Maharashtra. The MVA Government had brought this to the final stage. Under the MVA, our effort was to make Maharashtra, the lead state contributor to India's progress, just like other states in a healthy competition," the Shiv Sena leader said.
Vedanta Resources Ltd Chairman Anil Agarwal on Wednesday said that the company is still committed to investing in Maharashtra.
Agarwal said that the company chose Gujarat for the deal on the basis of professional and independent advice.
The chairman took to Twitter and said, "We decided on Gujarat few months ago as it met our expectations. But in the July meeting with Maharashtra leadership, they made a huge effort to outbid other states with a competitive offer. We have to start in one place and based on professional and independent advice, we chose Gujarat."
"We are committed to investing in Maharashtra. We will soon create a hub where Maharashtra will be part of our forward integration," Agarwal further said in a series of tweets, "Vedanta-Foxconn have been assessing the sites and engaging in dialogue with state governments for the last two years, and we hope to continue these conversations for the growth of our country in years to come," he added.