Mumbai, Dec 9 (IANS): Amid rising competition from states in attracting investments in cooperative and competitive federalism, Maharashtra has topped in getting foreign direct investment (FDI) in two consecutive years, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan in his address to joint session of state legislature on Monday said that the state topped in the country in FDI with Rs 1,25,101 crore in 2023-24, and it again topped in the country in the first two quarters, from April to September of this year 2024-25 with an FDI of Rs 1,13,236 crore, which is more than 90 per cent of the last year's total FDI.

"Maharashtra is one of the leading industrial states in the country. Maharashtra contributes more than 14 per cent to the country's total GDP. The government has set a very ambitious target of making Maharashtra the first state in the country to achieve the target of $1 trillion economy by the year 2027-28," said the Governor in his speech.

The government has announced a policy of giving Anchor Industry status to mega-projects in the thrust sector and high-tech manufacturing sector such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, aerospace and defense, chemicals and polymers, lithium iron batteries, steel and other products and special incentives to attract more investment in the state.

Approved projects in the last eight months under the said policy, will attract total investment of approximately Rs 3,29,000 crore and it will generate direct and indirect employment of 1,18,000.

The government has announced State's Information Technology and Information Technology Supported Services Policy, 2023 and also Green Data Centre Policy. The policy aims to make Mumbai, the Data Centre Capital of India. As part of this policy, Green Integrated Data Centre Park will be set up in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai areas, which will lead to an approximately Rs 1 lakh crore investment and generate employment for 20,000 people in the state.

In a bid to develop skill sets among the youth, the government has launched "Chief Minister Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana" in the state to promote skills among youth and provide skilled manpower to industries.

Under this scheme, 1,19,700 candidates have joined for training. For providing training to youth with the purpose of making them employable, 1,000 Acharya Chanakya Skill Development Centres have been started in colleges. In these centres, 1,50,000 youth will be trained annually.

The government has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the state of Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany in the month of February 2024 for the supply of 10,000 skilled manpower.

Amid the overwhelming response from the women voters to the MahaYuti alliance in the recently concluded state assembly election, the Governor said that the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which was launched for empowerment of women in the age group of 21 to 65 years, would continue onwards. He further said that an amount of Rs 1,500 per month is provided to more than 2.34 crore beneficiary women under this scheme and five monthly installments from July to November 2024 has been paid.

The Governor also said that the government has taken the decision to implement its Revised National Pension Scheme as well as the Central Government's Unified Pension Scheme to the employees who are covered by the National Pension Scheme.

While giving details with regard to the state government's move to make Maharashtra drought free, the Governor said the government has accorded administrative approval to 167 irrigation projects having an irrigation potential of 25 lakh 21 thousand hectares of land in the last two years.

Further, the government has accorded administrative approval to four river linking schemes, namely, Wainganga-Nalganga, Nar-Par-Girna, Damanganga-Ekdare-Godavari and Damanganga- Vaitarna- Godavari. It will create 4 lakh 33 thousand hectares irrigation potential.

Further, the government is actively implementing the "Jal Jeevan Mission Scheme" in the state. Under the scheme, the government has provided water to more than 1.27 crore households.

The Governor said that the Centre’s decision to grant the status of the Classical Language to Marathi language will help for establishment of special centres to study Marathi Language in 450 universities.

More funds will be available from the Central government for preservation and conservation of the Marathi language.