Congress’ Jairam Ramesh questions PM Modi’s silence on key issues during Pune visit

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the government’s inaction over the mass exodus of manufacturing units from Pune’s Chakan industrial area

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pune for the launch of several projects, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday (September 26, 2024) took a sharp dig at Mr. Modi, again referring to him as the “non-biological PM” and demanding answers to four critical issues that he believes are being neglected by the BJP government. 

Mr. Ramesh’s questions targeted the State of Maharashtra’s industrial sector, social justice for marginalised communities, and cultural recognition.

He questioned the government’s inaction over the mass exodus of manufacturing units from Pune’s Chakan industrial area.

According to him, poor road infrastructure and unresolved traffic congestion issues have caused a significant disruption in the transportation of goods, forcing around 50 units to relocate to other States such as Gujarat, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Despite repeated complaints and discussions with officials, no progress has been made to address the issues, leading to a loss of jobs in the region. “Is the Mahayuti government doing anything to stop this mass exodus? What does the non-biological PM have to say about the jobs lost due to his government’s negligence?” he asked. 

The former Union Minister highlighted the BJP government’s continued indifference towards the Dhangar community’s long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The Dhangars, constituting nearly 9% of Maharashtra’s population, have been marginalised and face severe socio-economic challenges. 

“Effects of caste-based marginalisation are evident from the Dhangars’ poor performance on Human Development Index indicators, but they have received no support from the Mahayuti government. Last year, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde made vague commitments about studying other States’ methodologies to address their demands for reservation but no meaningful progress has been made,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh said the Congress party has pledged to conduct a caste census to ensure equitable representation for backward communities, including the Dhangars. He demanded to know, “Why have the BJP and their allies ignored the plight of the Dhangars?”

The grand-old party leader criticised the Central government’s decision to impose a ban on ethanol production, a move that has severely impacted Maharashtra’s sugar industry. He pointed out that the decision was based on flawed predictions of a sugar shortage, even though the per-acre yield of sugarcane has increased. As a result, millers in the State are sitting on ethanol stocks worth Rs 925 crore, facing both financial and safety risks, he said.

“Now, sugar mills find themselves in a fix - in addition to the financial burden imposed by this ban, they are also worried about the fire hazard posed by their existing stocks of ethanol and spirits, which are incredibly combustible materials. Neither has the Centre’s reactionary policy helped the farmers - the greater than expected supply of sugarcane has lowered prices for the crop, especially given the drop in demand due to the ethanol ban,” he said. 

Mr. Ramesh questioned whether the Prime Minister would take responsibility for what he described as a “disastrous shift in policy” and asked what the government’s plan is to resolve the crisis in the sugar industry.

The 70-year-old leader also raised the issue of the ongoing demand for Marathi to be granted classical language status. He pointed out that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, several languages, including Tamil, Sanskrit, and Odia, were accorded classical status. “However, despite a strong case presented by then-Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in 2014, no progress has been made during Modi’s ten years in office. Ramesh accused the Prime Minister of showing “special apathy” toward Marathi culture and demanded an explanation for the government’s failure to recognise Marathi as a classical language,” he said.

These pointed remarks come at a time when PM Modi’s visit to Pune is expected to be marked by significant infrastructure and development announcements. 

Later in the evening, Mr. Modi will flag off a Metro train in Pune on Thursday (September 26, 2024), alongside launching several development projects valued at over ₹22,600 crore.

He will also lay the foundation stone for the Swargate-Katraj extension of Pune Metro Phase-1, which is estimated to cost around ₹2,950 crore. This 5.46 km southern extension will be entirely underground and will include three stations: Market Yard, Padmavati, and Katraj.

In line with his government’s vision of making India self-reliant in supercomputing technology, the Prime Minister will dedicate three PARAM Rudra supercomputers to the nation. Developed indigenously under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), these supercomputers, valued at around ₹130 crore, have been deployed in Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata to support cutting-edge scientific research. The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune will use the supercomputer for studying Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and other astronomical phenomena, while the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in Delhi will advance research in materials science and atomic physics. The S.N. Bose Centre in Kolkata will focus on research in physics, cosmology, and earth sciences.

Published - September 26, 2024 10:20 am IST