Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant had earlier promised to resolve all their grievances related to infrastructure. (Express)A day after Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant promised to resolve all their grievances related to infrastructure; industrialists in the Chakan MIDC area who had threatened to move have decided to put their decision on hold for now. The industrialists added they will be forced to move out if the government fails to keep its promise.“After our meeting with the Minister, the industries that had decided to move out have put their decision on hold. This decision will be on hold for a period of 10 months. This is because the state government has promised to meet all our demands in 10 months,” Shantanu Kulkarni, president of the Chakan Industrial Association, told The Indian Express on Monday.Kulkarni said if, in 10 months, the government does not rise to their expectations, the industries that had decided to move out will take their decision.The Association said they were happy with the government response. “The way the government moved swiftly, held a meeting, heard our grievances and made a decisive move is highly appreciated by all the industrialists in Chakan. Be it Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde or Industries Minister Uday Samant, they all responded positively to our demands. Our meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, and the government heard our demands and expectations carefully,” Kulkarni said.The association said they were especially impressed by the response of Deputy CM Shinde. “Shinde attended our meeting through videoconferencing. When officials told him that a certain project will take six months to be completed, Shinde told them why not take three months? We liked Shinde’s response and the sense of urgency he showed,” he said.Kulkarni said they had been protesting about the lack of proper amenities in Chakan industrial area for over a year now. “We had taken out a morcha a year ago to highlight our problems. But there was hardly any response from the government. It was only after 20 of our industrialists took a stringent stand that the government moved swiftly and took quick decisions,” he said.After the meeting with the industrialists, the Minister announced that a committee headed by Pune district collector will look into the problems of the industrialists and resolve their grievances. “The district collector will hold a meeting of industrialists every week like the Janata Durbar,” he said.Story continues below this adLast week, owners of 20 industrial units had announced their decision to move out from Chakan to Khandala MIDC in Satara. “We are struggling to get proper basic amenities in Chakan MIDC area.Traffic congestion, potholes, inadequate parking, poor power supply water scarcity have hit us hard,” industrialist Dhananjay Shedbale and others had said.They had alleged that Pune-Nashik highway between Bhosari and Chakan had become home to severe traffic jams daily. ”It takes 2 to 4 hours to cover a mere 5-km distance, which has reduced company production and left the situation comparable to a patient in the ICU,” they had said.NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar decried the government approach to the problems of the industries. “All these years, the government did not care to the demands of the industrialists. It was only after the industrialists threatened to move out, the government woke up,” he said.Rohit Pawar said Uday Samant has been the state’s Industry Minister for five years but is busy in politics all the time. ”The Minister more involved in political business. He should state what he has actually done for businesses and the people. After industrialists held a press conference regarding the issues in Chakan MIDC, Uday Samant rushed to Chakan on a Sunday due to the panic—was he playing marbles all these days?.”Story continues below this adThe MLA said the minister only made vague promises to the industrialists. “There was nothing concrete which came from the government. He kept saying”We will build this road, we will build that road”—it has been a shower of promises. Because Uday Samant was coming, the roads were fixed by officials by pouring asphalt.”Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our storiesTags:pune