• Source:JND
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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday sparked a political row by stating that the IT companies from Pune's Hinjawadi are moving to other cities, including Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The remarks from Pawar, who is also the Pune guardian minister, came after he arrived in the area for the inspection. Hinjawadi is one of the key areas of the city where hundreds of IT and other service sector companies are located. However, the employees have been complaining about the poor infrastructure, especially waterlogging just after a few hours of rain. The opposition leaders have criticised the NDA government after Pawar's statement, adding that the minister has "accepted" the failure.

While having a conversation with a local public representative, Pawar pointed out that the firms are shifting to the other cities. “We are ruined. The entire IT park of Hinjewadi is moving out. It's going out of Pune, out of Maharashtra to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, don't you care at all?,” Pawar was quoted as saying by the Deccan Herald. He further warned of strict action if solid steps are not taken to boost the infrastructure.

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“Why do I come here for inspections at six (am) in the morning? I don't understand. There's no alternative but to take strict action," Pawar added, while asking the reporters to not record the statement. However, a political row erupted after a clip of the conversation floated on multiple social media platforms.

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While reacting to Pawar's remarks, the state Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal stated that Pawar has not taken any steps to stop the companies from shifting to other cities. “The IT industry that developed in Hinjewadi during the Congress regime is now moving towards Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Pawar himself has accepted this, so the question arises whether the state government and Pune's guardian minister were sleeping till then?,” Sapkal stated.