Bengaluru: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge remain engaged in a war of words over the assertion that the Modi government is “diverting” big-ticket investment projects to states where the BJP is in power.
Last week, Kharge slammed the setting up of semiconductor plants in Gujarat and Assam in a post on X, saying that the states had “no ecosystem” of skills, research and incubation.
“When 70 percent of the chip designing talent lies in Karnataka, I don’t understand why the government wants to push to another state by using political clout. That is unfair,” he wrote.
This set off a heated exchange between the two as the Assam chief minister claimed that Congress was opposed to Assam’s development and progress.
Speaking to ThePrint, Kharge said Thursday, “The Prime Minister is arm-twisting investments to states he personally likes. And since when did batting for one’s own state’s interest become anti-another state? If Mr Modi pushes investment to Gujarat and Mr Sarma pushes for investments for Assam, they are hailed as ‘bhoomiputras’ (sons of soil), but if we ask for investments on meritocracy, then we become anti-nationals and anti-Assamese.”
He claimed that Assam does not have the required skill set or the ecosystem to nurture such industries in today’s context.
The Congress-led government in Karnataka has been objecting to the central government allegedly depriving high-performing states of the dues in central taxes and devolution pool, while funneling investments and capital to other low-performing regions for political gains.
Even Union Minister for Heavy Industries, H.D. Kumaraswamy, made a reference to the alleged preferential treatment to Gujarat back in June. But he was forced to retract the statement within a day since the Janata Dal (Secular) is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Referring to the plan for US-based Micron Technology to set up a unit in Gujarat, he said it will generate about 5,000 jobs and for it, it is getting $2 billion in subsidies. “If you calculate, that’s 70 percent of the company’s total investment.”
In response to a post by Kharge, Sarma wrote in a post on X Wednesday, “When a minister for Karnataka speaks about Assam and its semiconductor project, I can only sincerely thank God that in just 3 ½ years, Assam has been elevated to a position where even Karnataka, one of the most advanced states in our country, recognised our achievements.”
He added, “Assam Congress leaders must understand that Assam is now in a position to negotiate with major companies and compel them to invest here. Once known for militancy, Assam is now on the verge of becoming a hub of the semiconductor revolution.”
Kharge had questioned Sarma over the closure of the Nagaon Cooperative Sugar Mill, leasing out of Assam Tea Corporation to private parties and the shutting down of paper mills in parts of the state, among other issues.
In response to Sarma’s latest post, Kharge wrote, “When a CM is unable to comprehend, not even God can save the administration or the people…”
Karnataka, Kharge said, is the “world’s fourth largest technology cluster”.
When a CM is unable to comprehend, not even God can save the administration or the people.
Bhaisaab, read this slowly. Let it sink in.
Karnataka is the world’s 4th largest technology cluster.
We are No. 1 in India in:
– Semiconductor Design Ecosystem
– National… https://t.co/4JJxK8w4yC
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) October 2, 2024
Kharge said that Karnataka is ready to provide any assistance to help Assam become the ‘silicon valley of the North-East,’ but maintained that unfair practices by PM Modi prevent established ecosystems from growing further.
He added that the Union government has “heavily subsidised” investments like the semiconductor proposals in Gujarat and Assam, making it harder for the likes of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Micron, he told ThePrint, was a Rs 22,000 crore project, on which the Union government is giving a 50 percent subsidy of Rs 11,000 crore. The state government will then take on the burden of another 20-30 percent. “If 70-80 percent of the funds are added by the central and state government, then doesn’t it become a public sector unit? The subsidy they are getting per job will be Rs 3.2 crore for creating around 5,000 new jobs,” he said.
“Why is it that such heavy subsidies are only for them? Give us (Karnataka) half the subsidies, we will show you better results. You (Union government) have to give such subsidies because these states do not have an ecosystem. Ultimately, it is the wealth of the nation and this is not only for Gujarat.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: With 16 Jharkhand visits in 3 months, ‘infiltrator’ rhetoric, Himanta emerges as thorn in JMM’s side
