‘New Power Project In Maharashtra Meant To Benefit Industrialist, Not Development,’ Says Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal | VIDEO

Mumbai, October 28, 2026: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Wednesday alleged that the Torrent Power project in Raigad district would cause extensive environmental damage and was intended to benefit an industrialist rather than promote development.

Opposing the felling of trees for the project, Sapkal told reporters here that the Congress was not against development but would oppose destruction in its name.

Environmental activists and Opposition leaders are up in arms against the felling of trees for the 3,000-MW project slated to come up near the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary at Karjat in Raigad.

Torrent Power has rejected environmental concerns, saying the proposed project is located about 16 km from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and that all its components fall outside the sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the opposition to the upcoming pumped storage power project in Raigad was unwarranted and seemed politically motivated.

Sapkal Questions Tree Plantation Claims

Taking a swipe at Fadnavis, Sapkal said, "Maharashtra does not need a chief minister who is against trees. First tell us what happened to the target of planting 33 crore trees, and then talk about planting lakhs of trees."

Sapkal questioned Fadnavis's announcement that thousands of trees would be planted elsewhere to compensate for the loss.

The government's earlier pledge to plant 33 crore trees raised questions about where the plantation had taken place. The proposed planting of lakhs of trees in the Sahyadri region was also questionable, he said.

Sapkal said forests must be conserved and development should be sustainable. He alleged that trees were being felled to benefit a private company and described the chief minister's assurances as an attempt to "mislead people".

Alternative sites were available for the project, but the government was exploring the possibility of developing another major urban centre in the region, he charged.

Sapkal Criticises Industrial And Infrastructure Policies

Sapkal also cited the alleged closure of 40,000 industries in Maharashtra during the Fadnavis government's tenure and questioned why projects such as Foxconn and the bulk drug park had gone to Gujarat, claiming that there had been no opposition to them.

He also criticised the Vadhavan port project, alleging that it "undermined the rights of local residents", and said the Shaktipeeth Expressway, connecting Nagpur to Goa, was being imposed on people despite a lack of public demand.

The Congress leader said he would visit Karjat on Thursday to inspect tree felling near the Bhimashankar sanctuary for the Torrent Power project and interact with local villagers.

MVA Accepts Legislative Council Outcome

On the election to five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats, Sapkal said the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would accept the outcome.

The BJP-led ruling Mahayuti was leading in three seats while the Opposition NCP (SP) was ahead in two seats as counting was underway on Wednesday for the five seats in the Upper House of the state legislature, officials said.

The Opposition alliance had contested all five seats together, and he expected it to win three of them, Sapkal said, expressing confidence that the Congress candidate would also win the Nagpur Graduates' seat.

Sapkal alleged that money had been used to influence voters, claiming that gifts, meals, cash envelopes and Paithani sarees (traditional clothing from Maharashtra) had been distributed during the election.

Congress Seeks SIT Probe Into Murder Case

He also claimed that the ruling dispensation was attempting to protect the accused in the Pradeep Purnekar murder case in Thane.

Purnekar, the Shiv Sena (UBT) Manpada ward/division chief, was attacked and killed in his office by unidentified assailants on September 29.

While the police have arrested five persons in the case, Purnekar's family has accused former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and her husband of plotting the crime and demanded their immediate arrest.

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Sapkal demanded a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Bombay High Court. The inquiry should take into account the evidence and information provided by the victim's family, he said.

He alleged that those facing accusations were trying to shield the accused and asked Fadnavis whom he was attempting to protect.

Thane was increasingly coming to be known as a "city of criminals," Sapkal claimed.

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