Nagpur (Maharashtra): Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has called the government a 'vishkanya' (poison girl) and asked industrialists not to depend on it for everything, saying it drowns whoever it goes with.
He also told entrepreneurs that there is no certainty on when they will get subsidies since the government has to make arrangements for the 'Ladli Behna Yojana'.
"No matter which party is in power, always keep away from it. The government is a 'vishkanya' and drowns whoever goes with it", Gadkari said while speaking at the 'Amazing Vidarbha' conference on tourism development organised by the Vidarbha Economic Developer Council (VED) in Nagpur.
He also asked entrepreneurs not to wait for subsidy as there is no assurance as to whether one will get subsidy or when it can be received.
"If you want subsidy and get it then take it. But there is no certainty as to when one will get subsidy. One of my boys said that he wanted a subsidy for his Rs 450 crore project and asked me as to when he will receive it. I told him that there is no hope whether he will get the subsidy or not. The 'Ladli Behna Yojana' has just started so the subsidy money has to be given for it and this has got stuck," Gadkari said.
The minister further said that the textile industry was closed for not receiving power subsidy. The best thing to do is to make own plans, he added.
Urging entrepreneurs to invest in the Vidarbha region, Gadkari regretted that despite trying hard to bring big ticket investments, there has not been much response. He said that the biggest challenge is that there are no investors who can invest Rs 500 to Rs 1000 crore and so we are not getting any big project, he said. There are entrepreneurs who have brought projects like Mihan in Vidarbha and are buying land, but they are not starting units here.
The Union Minister also stressed on the possibilities of developing the tourism sector in Nagpur, the city of oranges that is now getting recognised as 'Tiger Capital of India'. He said that the tourism sector can be developed by attracting investments.
"There are tiger reserves like Pench, Karhandla and Tadoba in nearby areas and a large number of tourists come here. Efforts need to be made to lure them to Nagpur. For this, we need good hotels, transport system and others. But it is possible to do so only if we get investment," Gadkari said.
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