After Tata-Airbus, Opposition slams state govt over French aviation giant Safran’s project

“2 crucial sectors have lost faith in ‘khoke sarkar’ (Shinde-BJP government) — industry and agriculture. Investors have lost faith in political stability and farmers have lost faith in government support in times of climate crisis. Monstrous ambition + complete collapse in administration= Maharashtra’s loss,” MLA Aaditya Thackeray said in a tweet.

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe claimed the French company, which had shortlisted Mihan near Nagpur as one of its locations for its project, has shifted it to Hyderabad. “Shinde should realise this is an industrial state and if projects like these keep going out of the state, then Maharashtra will be stamped as an unfavourable destination for industries and investors,” he said.

BJP leader Keshav Upadhyaya, however, slammed the Opposition, saying it was spreading false rumours about all the projects and, in fact, no project came during MVA’s tenure and hence MVA should apologise.

“The Opposition is claiming the Safran project has gone out of the state but the compnay had already set up the factory in Hyderabad in March 2021. Who was the CM in 2021? MVA government was in power and Uddhav Thackeray was the CM. Then who should apologise? In July 2022, work was also started on the Hyderabad plant. Spreading false rumours is not good for the people of the state and the MVA should apologise. No project came during MVA’s tenure,” Upadhayay said.

Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena spokesperson Kiran Pawaskar said the Opposition was defaming Maharashtra by spreading lies about all the projects and that all these projects went out of the state during MVA. “They are spreading lies and false narrative about every project. All of these had already decided to exit Maharashtra during the MVA tenure but there was no effort from the then government to retain them be it Vedanta Foxconn, bulk drug park or the Tata-Airbus project…. This organised conspiracy to defame us and the state by lying must stop now. The whole country is watching and Maharashtra is getting defamed and it’s image being tarnished,” Pawaskar said.

“In the MVA government and before that, Sena’s Subhash Desai was the Industries Minister. In fact he should clarify how many projects have come to Maharashtra and why they are leaving now. No High Powered Committee or Cabinet Sub-Committee for industries meetings took place during MVA tenure,” Pawaskar said.

French aviation giant Safran Group has planned set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for its aircraft engines in Hyderabad at an initial investment of USD 150 million (around Rs 1,200 crore) and thereby create around 600-700 job opportunities.