Pimpri-Chinchwad: Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant on Sunday set a 10-month timeline to improve infrastructure in the Chakan industrial area and assured entrepreneurs that long-pending issues related to roads, traffic, parking and other facilities would be addressed.
Samant said traffic congestion in the Chakan industrial area would be tackled in three phases: temporary, medium-term and permanent. Potholes will be repaired immediately, while roads will be widened by three metres. Contractors who fail to complete work on time will be blacklisted, he said.
3-Hour Meeting…
The minister made the statement after inspecting MIDC and PMRDA roads in Chakan and locations highlighted by local entrepreneurs. He later held a three-hour meeting with industry association representatives, business owners and government officials.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde attended the meeting through videoconference. Shirur MP Dr Amol Kolhe, Khed Alandi MLA Babaji Kale, MLC Neelam Gorhe, Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi, PMRDA Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari, Zilla Parishad official Gajanan Patil, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Vikrant Bagade and MIDC officials were also present.
Measures Taken To Solve Issues…
Samant said work on new roads, road widening, cement-concrete roads and land acquisition had been resolved. He said compensation for farmers affected by land acquisition would be deposited in court, allowing them to collect the amount when required. He also said entrepreneurs would not need to meet officials personally to acquire MIDC land. Applications through the MILAP app would allow land to be allotted within eight days, he claimed.
The minister said vacant MIDC land would be used for parking. Companies occupying around 300 acres of land would be expected to make arrangements for vehicle parking within their premises. Strict action, including criminal cases, would be taken against vehicles parked along highways, Samant said. The District Collector and Police Commissioner have been given powers to create alternative routes to ease traffic movement.
A truck terminal is also planned in the area. Land will be acquired to address solid waste management issues, with PMRDA expected to handle the tender process. Samant also asked entrepreneurs to acquire land from MIDC to build residential complexes for workers. He said the remaining work on an 18-km stretch would be completed. Road construction could also face delays due to a shortage of bitumen caused by the ongoing conflict in Gulf countries. The government will therefore consider available alternatives, he said.
A committee headed by the Pune District Collector has been formed to look into problems faced by industries in Chakan. The collector has been given powers to coordinate work across departments and take action against officials who fail to complete assigned work on time. The administration will also allocate land for a state-of-the-art hospital in the industrial area. Water supply will be addressed under the Jal Jeevan Mission, with a meeting of the Water Supply Department expected to be held soon.
Weekly ‘Darbar’ To Review Chakan Issues
Samant said problems in Chakan should not remain limited to meetings and assurances. The Pune district collector will hold a weekly ‘Darbar’ every Friday to review local grievances and try to resolve them on the spot. Samant said he would also hold a review meeting every two months to monitor the progress of infrastructure work.
He further announced that an ‘Udyog Darbar’ would be held every 15 days across MIDCs in the state to address issues faced by industrialists. Samant said the government was committed to providing justice to entrepreneurs in Chakan. He urged political parties not to turn the industrial area’s problems into a political dispute.
“Political criticism should be reserved for election periods. At present, everyone should work together to bring justice to entrepreneurs,” Samant said.
Samant Dismisses Claims Of Industries Leaving Chakan
Samant also dismissed claims that industries were planning to leave the Chakan industrial area, calling them rumours. He said the government was working to clear confusion among entrepreneurs and complete the pending infrastructure works. The completion of three key roads, he said, would help reduce traffic congestion in the area.
Samant also announced that the government would publish a ‘Saffron White Paper’ detailing the number of agreements signed with companies at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the investment brought into Maharashtra. He said work on the document was already underway. Samant also pointed to earlier white papers on the Vedanta-Foxconn and Airbus projects and said they had not received much attention.
Responding to concerns about industries and businesses, Samant claimed that 36,211 companies had shut down over the past five years. He said the companies belonged to sectors including agriculture, tourism, mining, manufacturing, real estate and construction. According to Samant, the companies were closed because they failed to complete procedural compliance under the Companies Act, 2013.
“It is said that 36,211 companies shut down in five years. These companies closed down because they failed to comply with the Companies Act of 2013,” Samant said.
