The Hindu : National : Not all suicides are due to indebtedness: Deshmukh

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Not all suicides are due to indebtedness: Deshmukh

Special Correspondent

He is inclined to believe local journalists and not “senior journalists”

MUMBAI: On the day when The Hindu published a front page story saying that farm suicides rose dramatically in 2006 in Maharashtra, quoting figures from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh sought to underplay the issue saying that every suicide cannot be related to indebtedness. The suicides were going down, Mr. Deshmukh told a press conference.

The Chief Minister had just returned on Thursday after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, with a three-day stopover in Germany.

Mr. Deshmukh, who was asked various questions on infrastructure in Mumbai, the possible exit of one of his senior bureaucrats T. Chandrashekhar and farm suicides among other issues, said that he believed that suicides were coming down as journalists had reported this and he trusted them.

However, when questioned that journalists were also reporting a rise in suicides, he said he was inclined to believe local journalists and not “senior journalists.”

He appealed to the press not to forget Davos and Germany, “otherwise you will be going on non-issues,” he cautioned.

However, he said the government was very serious about the suicides and had implemented a package for farmers. Regarding his visit to Davos, he said he was the only Chief Minister from the country who was invited there and he was happy that Mumbai was being perceived as an international financial hub. There was great curiosity about the city and developments there, he said.

Infrastructure projects

At Davos he spoke about expansion of infrastructure including waterways and urban renewal. He admitted that infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai metro, were behind schedule and they would have to be given a time line of 2011-2012 for completion and the government would press hard for this.

Regarding the resignation of Mr. Chandrashekhar, vice president of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and officer on special duty, Dharavi Redevelopment Project, he said he had not seen the resignation and he would try and persuade him to stay.

However, he indicated that no one was indispensable and many bureaucrats were leaving because of more lucrative options.

He said the Dharavi Redevelopment Project which was headed by Mr. Chandrashekhar would proceed on schedule and there would not be any set back to it.

Meanwhile in Germany, Siemens and the Government of Maharashtra signed a letter of understanding to support the company’s expansion plans in the State.

Mr. Deshmukh also visited the Volkswagen factory at Wolfsberg and the Hannover Trade and Exhibition Centre. He said that a similar permanent centre could be developed in Mumbai.

The authorities at Hannover have agreed to support the planning and design of such a centre in Mumbai.

He also had discussions with German companies which were desirous of setting up factories in Maharashtra.

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