Baramati, September 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday criticised the Centre over its reported 7.8 per cent GDP growth for the April-June quarter, alleging that changes in statistical methods were being used to project a stronger economic picture while underlying challenges persisted.
Speaking to reporters, Pawar accused the Prime Minister and Finance Minister of creating a narrative of exceptional economic stability while, according to him, the economy was slowing and inflation and declining household savings remained major concerns.
“The Prime Minister and Finance Minister are trying to project that the state of the economy is exceptionally sound, ignoring the core underlying problems. It appears they are failing to register that the economy is actually slowing down,” Pawar said.
He also alleged that the government was using international events to divert attention from domestic economic issues.
Pawar raised several concerns affecting Maharashtra, including rising sugar prices and the financial position of farmers. He said higher sugar prices were not necessarily translating into greater benefits for farmers, despite increasing production costs, and cautioned against sugar imports, saying their impact remained uncertain.
On the dairy sector, Pawar welcomed the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration’s recent anti-adulteration drive under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. He said consumers were willing to pay more for better-quality milk, noting that prices had increased from Rs 60 to Rs 80 per litre, which he said could ultimately benefit producers.
Pawar also expressed concern over rainfall deficits in several parts of Maharashtra, warning of potential challenges related to drinking water and sowing operations. He called for collective efforts to address the situation.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was likely to visit Baramati around October 16, when a detailed presentation on local initiatives would be made to him.
Pawar also referred to recent Supreme Court observations concerning student protests and the ongoing legal proceedings over the Shiv Sena’s name and election symbol, saying the judiciary’s observations reflected concerns over government decision-making.
The NCP(SP) leader’s criticism comes amid a wider Opposition challenge to the Centre’s GDP figures. Congress has questioned the revised GDP calculation methodology, alleging that the government was engaged in a “game of numbers”. Former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has also raised concerns over the methodology.
The Centre and ruling party leaders have rejected the Opposition’s allegations. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress of being unable to accept India’s economic progress, while the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation maintained that its data collection and calculation procedures were robust and that the 7.8 per cent figure accurately reflected quarterly economic performance.
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