President Pratibha Patil. The bone of contention is an orange processing unit
originally slated to come up in president’s hometown Amravati, but which has been ‘‘shifted’’ to Nanded, Chavan’s home city.
Chavan is being accused of snatching a Rs 300 crore orange processing plant to be set up by Swiss company, Citrus International AG (CIAG), at Amravati’s industrial zone, Nandgaon Peth. The company had announced the setting up of the plant during an orange convention at Warud on February 22 this year in the presence of Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.
Barring power plants, coal-rich Vidarbha has remained industrially backward. Thus, there was much hope with the announcement of the orange plant. Shekhawat has now offered to lead the agitation to bring the plant to Nandgaon. A large number of orange growers and allied associations are planning to agitate for the project during the winter session of the assembly that begins in Nagpur next week.
‘‘I’ll first meet the CM and request him to reverse the decision to set up the unit at Nanded. If he does not honour it, I’ll take to the streets,’’ Shekhawat told TOI.
Chavan has pleaded ignorance over the move. ‘‘I am not aware of any such unit. The company has never met me nor have I made any effort to take it to Nanded. Vidarbha is a backward area and if it is getting a big unit, I would be the first person to welcome it,’’ the CM told TOI.
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