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September 29, 2009

Gujarat number one bubble bursts

Gujarat number one bubble bursts once again

Recent report on the state of Indian states paints a poor picture of the development of Gujarat. It has once again shown that despite Chief Minister’s chant of Gujarat number one, my Gujarat is lagging behind many states. Gujarat is basically a state of enterprising people. It is the land of people who have found their way out even in the worst time. Just by their own grit.
Wherever Gujarat stands in the report of progress released recently, all is because of the lone efforts of its people. C.M.Gujarat number one has become favorite slogan of the Chief Minister. Can a slogan alone make Gujarat number one? I am sure no one would say yes to this question.
The reason is simple. One has to make efforts for real development in the right direction. Gujarat can easily become number one in Agriculture provided farmers get water and electricity at right time and in right quantum. It is unfortunate that the Chief Minister is doing nothing in this direction.
We have Narmada waters. Timely completion of canals would have seen Narmada waters flowing into the fields of Gujarat farmers turnings thousands of acre of land farmers’ bonanza and state’s pride for real claim for number one. But the Chief Minister is more interested in turning Narmada into a political issue and waging a war of words against the centre rather than using it for the real development of Gujarat.
Every Global investor summit starts with bang and ends with great media hype of flow of billions into Gujarat. But, Gujarat is not number one in attracting investment. Chief Minister and his team turns ongoing projects of industry into MOUs. They persuade people to sign new MOUs without really making industry interested in investing in Gujarat. Industrialists join Chief Minister’s bandwagon because they get free publicity. The result: Gujarat is second in attracting investment. A small state like Himachal Pradesh has gone ahead of Gujarat without the level of natural and human resources of Gujarat.
Despite the oft repeated claim of the Chief Minister about the steps his government taken for the development of infrastructure in the State and Gujarat being the first state to give legal structure to infrastructure development, Gujarat ranks 10th in infrastructure development. What is the problem of Gujarat?
It needs right focus. No doubt Chief Minister Narendra Modi is highly proactive. But in which direction? It is to promote interest of few selected businessmen, not the common Gujarati who is toiling in fields or making all efforts to set up and run his industry. He is proactive in making publicity without really making efforts for the real growth of Gujarat.

In the STATE OF INDIAN STATES 2009 report. Gujarat ranks sixth in agriculture despite Modi’s loud mouthing about how world wants to emulate in Gujarat in agriculture sector. In primary health Gujarat stands at 10th rank among all states. In investment attraction, Gujarat is second and NOT FIRST first is Himachal. In primary education, Guj ranks 10th, in infrastructure Gujarat is 8 th behind Kerala, HP, and many others. In macro economy it stands at five and that too courtesy institutions like Sewa which he has started marginalizing, in consumer market, Gujarat is sixth. law and order Gujarat is third. In western states, Gujarat is second. even Goa is before Gujarat!