[Reader-list] Gujarat -Why No 1 state in India ?

[Pawan Durani]

Gujarat’s GDP has been growing at 12 per cent, as fast as China’s,
under the leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi; this has left
many states behind

Not a month goes without news reports highlighting the achievement and
development of Gujarat. Reports on the recent developments evince that
Gujarat is a “happening state” which entitles it to be ranked first
among all Indian states.

Agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan rightly puts it, “Gujarat owes
it to a scientific and integrated approach to agriculture during
Narendra Modi’s tenure which is backed by a sharp vision.”


Gujarat's GDP has been growing at 12 per cent, as fast as China's,
under the leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi; this has left
many states behind
The initiative of Modi government to provide soil health cards to
farmers has brought second ‘Green Revolution’ in Gujarat. The state
has now changed gears to become an auto hub. After Tata, Hero Honda,
the world’s largest two-wheeler maker, is set to establish a
manufacturing unit in the state.

Gujarat has highly diversified industries — from diamonds to denim,
fertilisers to pharmaceuticals, automobile to milk products, cotton,
art-silk, ceramics and oil seeds. Most of these industries have
notched up top slots in terms of production — in India and world
alike.

Gujarat contributes to 40 per cent of the country’s pharma and
art-silk industries, 80 per cent of polished diamond industry and 11
per cent of the world’s chemical exports. The state government has
formed a land bank of 50,000 hectares for industrial houses to choose
the sites online.

For past 12 years, Gujarat’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has been
growing at 12 per cent — as fast as China’s. Gujaratis, who hold 30
per cent of scrips floating in the market, account for 16 per cent of
Indian exports and 17 per cent of GDP. The state is India’s petro-gas
capital. Political stability, entrepreneurial spirit and
ever-improving infra-structure attract capital and entrepreneurs from
East Asia, the West and even from the Middle East. Country’s largest
social base of business class of Banias, Parsis, Khojas, Bohras
constitutes Gujarat’s business community. A commercially-tuned culture
and Modi’s resourceful leadership have made Gujarat the most “fast
forward state of India”.

Though critical issues like unemployment, low indicators of social
development (HDI) and population living Below Poverty Line (BPL)
cannot be overlooked, it was persistent under all regimes.

Modi and Health Minister J N Vyas have floated several credible
schemes to improve the state’s performance on HDI. The state
government has also earmarked financial aid of Rs 1,500 crore for 25
lakh poor families which will be delivered by 2010. While 1.43 BPL
families will get plots to build houses, about 2.59 lakh families will
be given houses before May 2011. Modi government aims at providing
jobs to 10 lakh youths, water supply to 12,000 villages and
electricity to 17,940 villages.



Also, the government departments will be graded according to their
performance in achieving the goal. The state has sanctioned Rs 1,000
crore for Sakhi Mandals to micro-finance thousands of women.

Gujarat has bagged several prestigious awards like UN Sasakawa Award
for disaster mitigation, CAPAM award for innovation in governance,
UNESCO award, CSI award for e-governance and Indiatech award in power
sector.

The state is front-runner in attracting industrial investment (MoUs).
It is first in implementing major health care services. Besides,
availability and utility of infrastructure and state-wide fibre-optic
connectivity puts it on world map.

Gujarat’s synergising relationship with its Diaspora demonstrates what
Gujarat has achieved under the Modi government. Clinton Foundation has
awarded Gujarat the world’s largest solar plant and 34 solar projects
are in the pipeline.

The state has the distinction of housing India’s first tidal energy
project and the largest wind energy farm. Ahmedabad has a world class
public transport system which serves 44 million people and helps in
saving 37 lakh tonnes of carbon emission. The state has country’s
biggest CNG and LNG infrastructure. Ahmedabad, which was derided as
the most polluted city in 2003, was recognised as ‘Green City’ by the
UN in 2009.

But, Mahuva-pattern land satyagrahas alert us against the possibility
of Gujarat becoming a mosaic of fragments of SEZ sub-states.

All these have sculpted Gujarat’s image as a geo-economic power. New
coastal ‘Silver Corridor’ with the development arc between its two
gulfs and knowledge corridor has wooed global players. Asian Tigers
seek access to its ports for taking goods to the Middle East and
Europe. Japanese township near Dholera and Koreans’ near Valsad has
raised the state’s international profile. Gujaratis ask: “Miles to go,
but compared to other states isn’t our glass more than half full?”

One of the city’s most eminent political analysts, Pravin Sheth
dissects the twists and turns of policy in Gujarat