Nashik: 840 Companies Shut Down In Five Years; MP Waje Questions Industrial Growth, Worker Protection

Nashik, Maharashtra has seen 840 private companies close in the past five years, according to Central government data. This figure is among the highest when compared to other major industrial cities in the state such as Pune, Thane, Mumbai City, Nagpur, Raigad and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. MP Rajabhau Waje has raised concerns on this issue in Parliament, questioning the protection of workers affected by these closures.

He wants to know if these workers have received their entitled benefits like provident fund, gratuity, and pending wages. The government clarified that it does not track the number of workers affected by the closure of private companies. Even though Maharashtra recorded 36,211 such companies, there is no consolidated data on the exact number of workers impacted.

Waje also highlighted the need to look at the broader picture of industrial growth, asking how many new industries have sprouted and how many jobs have been created in the state during the past five years. He pointed out that there is no clear data on new industrial establishments, investment and employment compared to the number of companies that have shut down.

Waje urged the government to provide a comprehensive account of industrial developments in Maharashtra, emphasizing that new industries should not come at the cost of job losses and unfulfilled worker rights.