Pune Infrastructure Crisis: Aaditya Thackeray Questions Maharashtra's Industrial Future Amid Poor Roads & Civic Issues In Chakan & Hinjawadi

Pune: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Friday questioned the Maharashtra government over the implementation of its ₹1,400 crore infrastructure package for Chakan Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), asking whether the announced funds had been released and why basic civic problems continued to trouble the industrial belt.

Thackeray raised the questions during his second visit to Chakan MIDC in three months. He said the only visible change since his previous visit in August was that regular meetings had started between the district administration and other stakeholders.

However, problems such as pothole-ridden roads, traffic congestion, garbage management, irregular water supply and electricity issues remained unresolved, he claimed.

Thackeray Questions ₹1,400 Crore Infrastructure Package

The ₹1,400 crore infrastructure plan received in-principle approval from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in September. However, Thackeray questioned its progress and demanded clarity on the allocation and release of funds.

“The Chief Minister had announced ₹1,400 crore. Has that money arrived? Have they released it? This question still remains,” he said.

Thackeray Demands Public Progress Report

Thackeray said government meetings and announcements would serve little purpose without visible improvements on the ground. He demanded that the administration make its progress report public so that residents, workers and industrialists could see what had been promised and what had actually been completed.

“How long will these meetings continue? What is the progress report coming out of them? They should display it openly at public places. These were the issues raised, and these are the things we have completed,” he said.

He also questioned the district administration’s weekly meetings, asking what they had achieved when even basic garbage management had not started.

In a post on X after the visit, Thackeray said the government needed to address traffic management, road repairs, waste collection and water management in the industrial area. He also asked when additional police personnel would be provided to manage traffic.

20 Industries Had Considered Leaving Chakan

Thackeray’s visit comes against the backdrop of an infrastructure crisis that had prompted around 20 industrial units in Chakan to consider relocating to Khandala MIDC in Satara district in August.

The companies had raised concerns over damaged roads, severe traffic congestion, inadequate water supply, electricity problems and poor coordination between government agencies. The proposed relocation had raised concerns over thousands of jobs and industrial activity in the region.

Following these concerns, CM Fadnavis had announced an infrastructure improvement plan. Industries Minister Uday Samant also visited Chakan, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde participated in a review meeting.

The Chakan Industrial Association later said the companies had dropped their immediate relocation plans following government assurances.

However, Thackeray said the continuing infrastructure problems could affect Maharashtra’s ability to attract fresh investment.

“If this is the situation in Chakan, Hinjawadi and several other MIDCs, which industrialists will want to come to Maharashtra?” he asked.

He also criticised the Industries Department for spending more than ₹5 crore on a visit to London, saying officials should instead visit industrial areas across Maharashtra and address their problems.

Suggests Quick Repairs Instead Of Concrete Roads

Thackeray also questioned the approach towards road repairs in Chakan. He said the administration did not need to acquire additional land or widen every road immediately to improve traffic conditions.

Instead, he suggested using mill-and-fill resurfacing to repair damaged asphalt roads.

He claimed that several roads could be repaired within four days using this method. According to him, potholes and damaged road surfaces slow down vehicles and create traffic queues that can stretch for a kilometre or more.

He also stressed that the concerns of local villagers and farmers should receive the same importance as those of industrialists. He said farmers must receive the compensation due to them for land acquired for infrastructure projects.

Warns Of Pressure Amid Drought Concerns

Thackeray also linked the condition of industrial areas to the wider agricultural situation in Maharashtra. He expressed concern over possible crop damage due to El Niño conditions over the next year to one-and-a-half years.

He said farmers from drought-affected areas could be forced to migrate towards cities in search of employment.

“Will we get jobs in MIDCs? Will we get jobs through competitive examinations? If that does not happen, very different incidents could take place. This will put additional pressure on the police and the administration,” he said.

He added that Maharashtra needed to maintain a balance between agriculture, industries and the interests of local villagers to avoid a larger crisis.

Thackeray said he would continue visiting industrial areas, including Hinjawadi, to raise concerns over infrastructure and employment.

Thackeray Questions Industrial Development In Sahyadris

Thackeray also criticised the Maharashtra government over industrial projects and their impact on the state’s environment. Referring to the Sahyadris, he questioned whether Maharashtra was allowing its natural heritage to be damaged in the name of industrial development.

He referred to protests against tree felling, claiming that Shiv Sena (UBT) workers had stopped the felling of trees and that workers from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and other political parties had later joined the protest.

Taking a swipe at the government’s industrial policies, he questioned whether companies from Gujarat were coming to Maharashtra at the cost of its natural resources.

“Do they want to take revenge for the plunder of Surat here in the Sahyadris?” he asked.

He said the Sahyadris were closely connected to Maharashtra’s history and the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He added that indiscriminate destruction of the region’s hills, forests and biodiversity would affect the state’s cultural identity.

Thackeray Targets Adani Projects, Data Centres

Thackeray also questioned the Maharashtra government’s approach towards large infrastructure and industrial projects, particularly data centres and pumped storage projects.

Referring to a recent report on Adani Green Energy’s proposed Tarali pumped storage project in Satara district, he questioned the reduction in the project’s estimated cost and the resulting decrease in the amount payable towards wildlife conservation.

According to the report, the company’s estimated project cost was revised from ₹5,675 crore to ₹56.75 crore. This also brought down the required conservation deposit from around ₹227 crore to ₹2.27 crore.

Thackeray questioned how such a major reduction was accepted and raised concerns over the project’s potential impact on the Sahyadris.

He also suggested that the government consider battery energy storage projects instead of projects that could affect forests and biodiversity.

Raising concerns over the expansion of data centres, he said their environmental and resource requirements needed greater public scrutiny.

“Data centres were a huge topic in the recent US midterm elections. We need to understand why people who supported them were voted down,” he said.

“What is rejected globally comes to our country, and what is rejected in the country comes to Maharashtra, and the Chief Minister accepts it,” he added.

Thackeray Attacks Fadnavis Over Law And Order

Thackeray also attacked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the law-and-order situation in Maharashtra, saying the state government had failed to ensure public safety.

Referring to Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan greeting fans from behind bulletproof glass outside his Mumbai residence, Thackeray questioned why such security arrangements were becoming necessary in a city like Mumbai.

“Even a mega superstar like Bachchan sahib has to stand behind bulletproof glass. There was a time when bulletproof glass was needed when our Prime Minister visited Jammu and Kashmir. Now, if this is the situation in a city like Mumbai, what are the Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, actually doing?” he asked.

He also referred to an attack in Shrigonda taluka of Ahilyanagar district, which he claimed took place in front of police personnel. He questioned the government’s response to crimes against ordinary citizens and referred to remarks by the Guardian Minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar about an attack at his residence.

Thackeray further accused the government of focusing on tapping and hacking opposition leaders’ phones instead of addressing crime.

“Give the police a free hand. They will finish all these things in two days,” he said.