Mumbai, June 2 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar once again targeted the Congress Saturday for what he termed as a collapse in the decision-making process in Maharashtra.

Pawar, without naming Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, said that on account of the dilly-dallying in taking major decisions, the state was losing out on big investments and mega industrial projects.

The NCP is an ally of the Congress in the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the centre and also part of the Congress-led coalition government in Maharashtra.

Pawar cited the instance of the Maruti Suzuki India Ltd Saturday signing an agreement with the Gujarat government to set up its new Rs.4,000-crore manufacturing facility in Mehsana district.

He also pointed out that the Maharashtra headquartered automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra has chosen to take its new manufacturing plant to Tamil Nadu instead of setting it up in the state.

On account of these, the state's progress is being hampered. When I enquired from Praful Patel why this was happening, he (Patel) said the state government was not implementing its policies, Pawar said, addressing a party convention here.

This is the second time in a month that Pawar has targeted the state government. Earlier, last month he had attacked the Congress for its failure on the drought front in different parts of the state.

Reacting to Pawar's statement, state Congress president Manikrao Thakre said that whatever issues the NCP had, it should sort these out at the appropriate forum.

This should not have been brought up in this manner on a public platform. He could have taken it up on a personal level with the chief minister, Thakre said.

Thakre reminded Pawar that all decisions were taken jointly by the ruling coalition partners, and defended Chavan by saying that he was working in the best interests of the state.