MUMBAI — The Mumbai Congress committee chief Varsha Gaikwad on Wednesday criticised the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ visit to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum summit, terming it a mere “show” and a waste of the state’s exchequer.
Speaking to reporters, Gaikwad pointed out that while the state government claims to have signed MoUs worth Rs 14.50 lakh crore, aiming to create 15 lakh jobs, the nature of these deals is suspicious.
She highlighted that several major agreements were signed with firms deeply rooted in Mumbai. “The offices of these companies are located in Mumbai, some just a stone’s throw away from the Mantralaya,” Gaikwad remarked. “When these companies are based in Maharashtra, what was the need to go all the way to Davos to sign these MoUs? This is nothing but ‘Eventbaazi’ and a way to mislead the public using their own tax money.”
While clarifying that the Congress party is not against industrial investment, Gaikwad emphasised the need for transparency.
She noted that similar claims of Rs 16 lakh crore in investments were made during last year’s Davos visit, yet the impact on the ground remains invisible.
“If such massive investments and jobs are truly coming to the state, why isn’t the unemployment rate decreasing? The government must come clean on the facts versus the claims,” Gaikwad stated.
The Congress MP has demanded that the state government release a ‘White Paper’ detailing how many of the previously signed MoUs have actually been implemented. It should also give the actual amount of capital that has flowed into the state and the exact number of jobs created through these international tours.
Gaikwad maintained that until the government provides a detailed account of past promises, these annual trips to Davos will be viewed as a staged spectacle rather than a genuine effort toward economic growth. — IANS
