Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has caused a flutter by revealing that Hinjewadi IT Park in Pune is 'moving out' to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
A video of Pawar's angry outburst while inspecting civic works in Pimpri Chinchwad has gone viral.
“We are ruined. The entire IT park of Hinjewadi is moving out. It's going out of my Pune, out of Maharashtra to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, don't you care at all? Why do I come here for inspections at 6 in the morning? I don't understand. There's no alternative but to take strict action,” Pawar said while asking media persons to switch off their cameras.
Pawar reached Hinjewadi at 6am to take stock of local issues like waterlogging and others. He visited several areas in Pimpri Chinchwad.
Hinjewadi houses the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, a large tech and business park spread over 2,800 acres, built by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. The business park has offices of over 800 companies.
On June 8, relentless downpour in Pune transformed Hinjewadi IT Park into a virtual wave pool, bringing traffic to a grinding halt. Vehicles queued up as commuters struggled to navigate the flooded roads.
Again on June 20, torrential showers turned Hinjawadi IT Park into a virtual water park on Thursday. Several arterial roads were submerged, and traffic came to a standstill.
Meanwhile, Pawar’s early morning visit to the Hinjewadi evoked sharp reactions from the Congress, while the NCP(SP) said they have been taking a regular follow-up.
“Was Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of Pune, asleep while Pune was going downhill,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harshwardhan Sapkal asked. He even demanded that Pawar take responsibility and resign.
In a scathing attack on the government and Ajit Pawar, Sapkal said Pune has long been a major hub for Maharashtra’s industrial, cultural, and political affairs. “Today, Pune is plagued by the 'Koyta gang' and a thriving illegal drug trade. One spell of rain is enough to submerge the city, and the traffic issues have worsened, leading to a slowdown in the IT sector,” he said.
“Due to the worsening law and order situation in Pune and corruption by the ruling parties, the entrepreneurs are frustrated. Basic infrastructure is in shambles, and as a result, IT industries are shifting to other states,” he added.
Vijay Wadettiwar, the Congress group leader in the state assembly, said it was good that the truth came out from the mouth of Ajit Pawar. “The shifting of industries, deteriorating law and order, poor infrastructure, coupled with traffic woes and the objectionable behaviour of the ministers and the MLAs, has ruined the state,” he remarked.
Baramati MP Supriya Sule said she had long been following up on issues related to the IT park. “I even suggested that until the traffic situation is resolved, companies should be encouraged to allow work from home,” she said.
(With inputs from PTI)
