Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pune, scheduled for Thursday, to inaugurate a new Pune Metro line and oversee other development projects, was cancelled due to incessant rainfall. Sources from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) revealed that the forecast for heavy rains in the city led to the decision.
Pune, along with several other regions in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, has been experiencing relentless rainfall since Wednesday, disrupting daily life. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded over 130 mm of rainfall in Pune on Wednesday and expects further showers on Thursday.
Ahead of his Pune visit, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had directed four questions at PM Modi.
- Why is the Chakan industrial area facing a mass exodus of manufacturing units?
Pune’s Chakan industrial area is currently witnessing a mass exodus of manufacturing units due to problems caused by poor road infrastructure. Despite ongoing roadwork, basic issues of traffic congestion and potholes continue to plague the area. This has not only caused frequent traffic jams but also a worrying increase in the number of accidents, and the absence of traffic police at important junctions has only exacerbated the problem. This has led to disruptions in production schedules as the movement of raw materials to factories and the transportation of finished goods have been severely hampered. Even after repeated complaints to the Pune police, and many meetings with officials from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), no meaningful progress has been made. Now, around 50 manufacturing units have relocated to other states like Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Is the Mahayuti government doing anything to stop this mass exodus of manufacturing units from Pune? What does the non-biological PM have to say about all the jobs that have been lost due to his government’s negligence?
- Why has the BJP ignored the Dhangar community’s demand for ST status?
The Dhangar community, which constitutes almost 9% of Maharashtra’s population, has been demanding ST status for years but in vain. 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. The INC has consistently promised to conduct a nationwide caste census to ensure that every backward community in India is able to access the opportunities they deserve. What is the non-biological PM doing to ensure the wellbeing of the Dhangar community? Why have the BJP and their allies ignored the plight of the Dhangars?
- Why has the Centre neglected Maharashtra’s sugar industry?
Expecting a shortage in sugar production this year, the Central government has imposed a blanket ban on the production of ethanol because of which millers in Maharashtra are sitting on stocks worth at least Rs 925 crore. The Centre’s predictions, however, are flawed as the per acre yield of sugarcane has actually increased by over 15%. 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. Is the non-biological PM going to take responsibility for this disastrous shift in policy? Does the BJP have any plans to rectify the problems they have created for the sugar industry?
- Why is the non-biological PM ignoring the demand for granting Marathi classical language status?
When Dr. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia were declared classical Indian languages. In the non-biological PM’s tenure, zero languages have been accorded classical language status. For ten years, he has done nothing on the well-argued case submitted by then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, on 11th July, 2014, to declare Marathi as a classical Indian language. What explains the non-biological PM’s special apathy to Marathi culture?
