Mumbai: Concerns over regulatory compliance, civic and infrastructure problems, political instability and the business environment have come into focus after 36,211 private companies were liquidated, dissolved or struck off in Maharashtra over the past five years. The figures, disclosed by the ministry of corporate affairs in the Lok Sabha to a query by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rajabhau Waje, show that Mumbai recorded the highest number of closures at 12,009, followed by Pune with 6,433 and Thane with 4,704.The data has triggered criticism from opposition leaders, who blamed the state government for failing to address issues affecting businesses and job creation. The largest number of closures were recorded in business services (14,613), followed by manufacturing, mining & quarrying (6,582); trading (4196) and community; personal and social services (3,361).Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thacekray and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar slammed the state govt for the closures.“In our Maharashtra, known as the growth engine of the nation, as many as 36,211 companies have shut down over the past 5 years, and the central government itself revealed in the Lok Sabha yesterday that a staggering 12,000 companies have closed in Mumbai, the economic capital of the country. Due to the closure of these companies, lakhs of youth in the state today have been deprived of their employment. Over the past five years, while the state rulers in Maharashtra have been engrossed in the tug-of-war for power, vital aspects like employment, industry, education, and health have been neglected—and this is the visible outcome. Be that as it may, now at least the rulers should step aside a bit from the horse-trading of power and make efforts for the state’s progress; that’s the expectation,” Rohit said in a post on X.Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray slammed the state govt for the closures. “A figure that should get all of us thinking. Ease of compliance and decriminalisation of industry ops is still pending. Civic issues, infrastructure issues haunt the industries in major industry belts like Chakan, Hinjewadi, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik MIDCs. The political instability, local dirty politics in the past 5 years. Whereas this should be the single most important focus of govt-job creation by promoting better education, corruption- free infrastructure development and ease of compliance of companies that are present, instead of only focusing on ease of doing business to invite new ones. But obviously, the BJP regime is fixated on land-grab schemes across cities while the regime keeps us busy fighting within ourselves as a society,” said Aaditya.
