Congress Accuses Modi Govt of Bias in Semiconductor Project Allocation

New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) — On Thursday, the Congress party accused the Modi government of favoring states ruled by the BJP-aligned governments over opposition-ruled states in the allocation of semiconductor manufacturing projects. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary responsible for communications, highlighted that the Modi government has approved four semiconductor manufacturing projects. Ramesh alleged that a leading private company had initially proposed setting up a semiconductor project in Telangana, which was later approved on the condition that it relocate to Andhra Pradesh. According to Ramesh, there had been earlier instances where project locations were forcibly changed. Two semiconductor projects initially planned for Telangana were relocated to Gujarat, and a similar project for Tamil Nadu received approval on the condition it relocates to Gujarat. Ramesh stated that such actions undermine fair competition among states, suggesting bias in favor of BJP-ruled states. His comments followed the Union Cabinet's recent approval of four semiconductor plants, with support from US technology giants like Intel and Lockheed Martin, with a total investment of Rs 4,594 crore in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified that two significant projects would be established in Odisha, with others in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. Vaishnaw added that the Chief Ministers of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh had expressed their intent to start construction promptly. He mentioned that all the identified semiconductor plants are expected to become operational in the next 2-3 years.

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