Mumbai: The timeframe for achieving Maharashtra’s $1 trillion economy goal may shift slightly to 2030-31 given the fluctuating exchange rate, said CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday. He said his party wants him to stay in Maharashtra till 2029.In an interview to a regional TV channel, Fadnavis said the state GDP growth was at 8.8%, which is “very good” considering the global headwinds, and the govt’s efforts are to increase it to over 10%.“When we announced the trillion dollar economy goal, the exchange rate at the time, if we consider that then we shall achieve the goal in 2029, but because of the oil crisis, the exchange rate has changed a great deal….. Just as the dollar value changes, similarly our goal goes ahead, but I expect that we should achieve it by 2030 or latest by 2031,” he said.Fadnavis said Maharashtra is closest to achieving the $1 trillion economy as it has already reached $660 billion. “We are very near to the trillion dollar and if we keep a sustained growth rate then by 2030 we should become a trillion dollar economy. At a time when there are such global headwinds , such a big oil crisis even today Bharat is growing at 7.8% and Maharashtra at 8.8%. We expect a double-digit growth rate… . We have to balance inflation and foreign exchange rate and so I think in this headwinds it is a very good growth rate but our efforts will be to go over 10%,” he said.On the controversy surrounding blending of ethanol with petrol, Fadnavis said a campaign is under way on a large scale to undermine the country’s success. “Major automobile industries have clearly stated that show one case where the engine has got spoilt because of ethanol. Till now not a single case has come to light. Ethanol is a clean fuel. The only difference is that its calorific value is low and this impacts a vehicles average. Today our ethanol blending is 20% and its impact is 7%, and on 100% it is negligible. A deliberate narrative is being created against ethanol,” he said.He warned that If tomorrow ethanol is banned or questions raised then it will adversely impact farmers who produce 100% of the ethanol. “Who will compensate their losses? In Brazil there are vehicles that run 100% on ethanol, 50% ethanol, world over vehicles run on ethanol. Those saying that there is a problem in our engines, we will have to think who is behind this narrative. Whenever Bharat progresses, some people’s shops close down and these people oppose progress,” he said.On the GDP growth in every district, he said Maharashtra’s biggest challenge was regional imbalance. Growth, he said, was earlier restricted to Mumbai, MMR, PMR and a small part of Nashik. So decentralisation was done. “Our growth engine is now Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Ahilyanagar, Dhule is now a new growth engine, in Western Maharashtra Sangli and Kolhapur, similarly in Konkan Raigad and Palghar are the new growth engines along with Ratnagiri... . Now there is no skewed development. Centre said four aspirational districts, we increased the numbers and went to the talukar level and did intervention in 150 talukas,” said Fadnavis.He said earlier there was no district GDP concept, now GDP is calculated for every district and recently 13 districts had surpassed their GDP growth goals.About him moving to the Centre, Fadnavis said his leaders wanted him to stay in Maharashtra till 2029. “Many people, some who are my well-wishers feel I will get a promotion, some feel if I am gone then it would be good for them. Whether someone feels good or bad, till 2029 my leaders will keep me in Maharashtra. I am saying this. I understand politics, I know my party, my leaders. The day my party, my leaders decide, I will go to Delhi,” he said.On opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Fadnavis said if anyone comes to Maharashtra and speaks lies daily, then he would respond. “Speak on facts and figures. What is shocking is such a big leader should speak lies. Often public do not know he is speaking lies and if he says it everyday then people think it is the truth. A girl from Karnataka did a fact-check on Chhatron ki Goonj and put it on a website that of the 40 issues, 29 are false. They registered a case against her,” he said.
