Dhami Slams Rahul Gandhi Over 'Baseless' Uttarakhand Investment Claims
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami defends the Uttarakhand Investment Summit and rejects Rahul Gandhi's claims about grounded projects.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched a scathing rebuttal against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, dismissing allegations regarding the state's Uttarakhand Investment Summit as completely baseless. The political row erupted after Gandhi questioned the validity of the investments claimed by the state government and the actual implementation of projects on the ground.
The Clash Over 'Small-Scale' Investments
At the heart of the controversy is Rahul Gandhi's critique of the types of businesses being counted as investments. Gandhi specifically questioned the inclusion of small-scale entities—such as fertilizer shops, flour mills, and small clinics—in the government's investment tally, suggesting that these do not constitute significant economic growth.
Responding to this, CM Dhami argued that Gandhi’s perspective is flawed and ignores the unique realities of the state. The Chief Minister emphasized that Uttarakhand’s challenging ecological and geographical terrain makes smaller-scale investments vital. According to Dhami, these small enterprises are the primary engines for creating local employment and fostering self-employment opportunities for the youth.
"Gandhi appears to recognize only large-scale corporate entities as legitimate investments, overlooking the vital contributions of smaller participants to the state’s economy," the Chief Minister remarked.
Allegations of 'Paper' Investments and Public Waste
Rahul Gandhi had previously raised concerns over the December 2023 summit, where the government claimed to have secured investments worth ₹3.56 lakh crore through 1,779 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). Gandhi alleged that these figures were misleading and questioned the transparency of the list containing 3,300 investors.
Furthermore, the Congress leader criticized the expenditure of approximately ₹100 crore of public funds used for promotional roadshows. He linked the lack of tangible investment to the struggles of the state's youth, claiming that while investments remain merely "on paper," the youth are grappling with issues like paper leaks.
Government Presents the Data
To counter these claims, the state government has pointed toward verified data. Industries Secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey clarified that the government is not merely relying on MoUs, but has already grounded investments exceeding ₹1.01 lakh crore.
Pandey highlighted that the state has maintained complete transparency, with project details, locations, and departmental data readily available to the public through several platforms, including:
- The Industries Department portal
- UK Spice
- The Single Window System portals
The Road Ahead for Industrial Growth
The government has also introduced the 'Nivesh Mitra' (investor facilitator) system to streamline the implementation of projects and assist investors in navigating bureaucratic hurdles.
Looking forward, the Industries Secretary announced that preparations are already in motion for a subsequent grounding phase, which is expected to bring in an additional ₹24,000 crore in investments. The state is strategically focusing its industrial development in key regions, including Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and specific areas of Nainital.