Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said it was impractical to build a bullet train line between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. He believes that there is a higher need for such a train between Mumbai and Delhi, or Delhi and Kolkata, or Mumbai and Chennai, PTI reported.
“I do not know what is the purpose behind this bullet train,” he said. “Maharashtra barely has four stations [along the bullet train’s route]; most of the stops are in Gujarat. But Maharashtra has to contribute equal finance in the project.”
Pawar also said that the economic slowdown and job losses in India were a result of implementing the demonetisation exercise and the Goods and Services Tax without enough preparation.
“The investment climate in the country is not good today, and hence, there are no fresh investments,” the former Maharashtra chief minister was quoted as saying. “The ‘Make in India’ slogan seemed very attractive initially, but its hollowness has begun to show now.”
Pawar noted loopholes in the policies adopted by the Centre for the Kashmir Valley, saying the government should have shown willingness for a dialogue. He also threatened that his party would start an agitation from November 5 if Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did not come good on his promise of waiving farmers’ loans by Diwali.
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