Uddhav Thackeray bats for healthy competition to attract investments

Urges Centre to change the timing of office hours and to make agriculture conducive to climate change

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday at the Niti Aayog meeting has urged the Centre to urgently for mulate policies to promote healthy competition among states to attract investments, to change the office hours replacing the present 10 am to 5 pm timing and also to make agriculture conducive to climate change and focus on more research in horticulture and various crops. In order to convert the present coronavirus crisis into an opportunity, Thackeray called upon the Centre to facilitate inter net and mobile connectivity through Bharatnet especially in remote 2,500 villages in the state. This will enable the state gover nment to provide seamless services to the people.

Thackeray in his presentation at the outset said that healthy and not cut-throat competition is needed among states to attract investments. “Some states offer attractive discounts or land rates which lead to bargaining. There should be competition among the states but all the states would benefit from it not only financially but also on the administrative efficiency and available facilities of the states. The Centre needs to for mulate policy,” he added.

Thackeray said despite the coronavirus pandemic the Maharashtra gover nment has signed MoUs with proposed investment of more than Rs 1 lakh crore.

As far as amending the present office hours of 10 am to 5 pm, Thackeray argued that there is a need to change this mindset. “There is a need to do the planning of various office hours and for that the Centre should for mulate a national policy,” he said.

Further, CM emphasized that the farmers affected by the natural calamities should get due compensation and the insurance companies should change their profit and loss ratio. Thackeray suggested that the Centre should provide assistance to the state to provide assistance to the farmers affected by untimely rains. He added that the Centre needs to change the NDRF criteria fixed in 2015.

Thackeray referred to the climate change and the recent glacier burst tragedy in Uttarakhand and suggested that there is an urgent need to change the methods of farming with the changing environment.

Moreover, Thackeray urged the Centre to provide assistance to the state in the development of ports and fisheries in the Konkan region. He made a strong case for environmentfriendly development in the region.