Government favouring a few industrialists: Congress

Mumbai: The Congress has criticised the government for favouring a few industrialists by tweaking the industrial policy. The remarks from Congress came after the state government approved the integrated industrial policy, allowing development on green zones, no-development zones and tribal land. The Congress alleged that the government is encouraging crony capitalism but not giving any help to new entrepreneurs.

“The government is ready to compromise on buffer zones, eco sensitive land and tribal land for a few industrialists. Will other small entrepreneurs and businessmen get the same benefit? The government made the provision in its industrial policy so that these businessmen would get special favours. This is encouraging crony capitalism,” Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged.

He was referring to a latest Cabinet decision on industrial policy.  The state government has relaxed the land requirement norms for the integrated township scheme and given permission to purchase denotified land from SEZs, tribal lands, government land and land in eco-sensitive areas after taking legal permissions. It will give an incentive FSI under the integrated township scheme to the builder.  A Navi Mumbai integrated township project, which is near the proposed airport, for which denotified SEZ land may be utilised, will benefit from these decisions.

Ahead of the state-organised Magnetic Maharashtra summit, Mr Sawant pointed out that the state ranks 16 on the ease-of-doing-business list. “The state government ranks 16th in the country on ease-of-doing business parameters. With this rating, how industries will get attracted? The government claims about Make In India are also false. We do not see any investment and new employment generation in the state.

The BJP-led government is busy with advertisements rather than working on the ground,” the Congress spokesperson said.

Mr Sawant also questioned the move to let Wizcraft, a firm that was blacklisted earlier, organise Magnetic Maharashtra. In a programme organised by the same company two years ago, the entire stage of cultural programme was gutted in a fire.