Rural development has kept pace with urban growth: Narendra Modi

Apart from talking extensively to BT on why Gujarat is a hot destination, Chief Minister Narendra Modi marshaled the numbers and facts in a set of written answers to questions emailed to him. Edited excerpts:

What do you think differentiates Gujarat from other Indian states when it comes to the state's economy and doing business there?
Gujarat represents uniformity of development as well as unanimity on the issues of development. Gujarat is a state where infrastructure development has kept pace with economic growth, where rural development has kept pace with urban growth, where satisfaction of workers has kept pace with industrial growth.
Not only have the multinationals and big companies done well, but a large number of medium, small, rural and domestic ventures have also prospered. Not only has  industry and agriculture grown fast; but education and health services have also expanded equally fast. We are known not only for exporting quality industrial products, but for our agri- and horticulture produce. Even in those fields where India as a country has not been able to do well, Gujarat is doing well and producing a model for others.

Every state dreams of infrastructure that compares with the developed world but Gujarat is perhaps the only state that delivered. How and what are the best practices that helps your administration deliver this?
Yes, we have been very keen and committed on developing infrastructure. I personally believe that infrastructure is the enabler of development. There are a few elements that have helped us:

• We have vision documents for 20 to 30 years. We plan infrastructure in an integrated manner.
• On the one hand we are planning for big and robust infrastructure and on the other hand we see to it that even the remotest part of the State is benefited by that.
• We are aiming to build the best of infrastructure from a global perspective. For example, Ahmedabad's Bus Rapid Transport System has not only been a successful story but has been acclaimed worldwide. The new ports that we are planning to build, the SIRs that we are planning ... all are globally benchmarked.
• Gujarat is not only the pioneer in public private partnership but the state is recognised as the 'Most Admired PPP Enabler'.

The Gujarat model of attracting industries is infrastructure-led, not incentive-led. Don't you think of losing out when other states are also catching up on infrastructure?
Gujarat's infrastructure has reached to the second stage of development. We have to worry only about the best quality and global benchmarking instead of spread of infrastructure. We are now working on more futuristic social and physical infrastructure.


How is the state's 'special investment region' model different from the industrial estate and SEZ models elsewhere in the country? How did you develop the model and how do you see it delivering?
From industrial clusters, industrial estates and SEZs, now we are moving towards Special Investment Regions, which we call SIRs. These SIRs are going to be very big in size and scale. We have planned for 12 SIRs, which will be our flagship development for a few years to come. Setting up of these SIRs is in tune with the upcoming Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Industrial Corridor between Delhi 'and Mumbai (DMIC), 565 km of which will pass through Gujarat. We have enacted a new legal framework: the SIR Act of 2009. We have already allocated land for the Dholera SIR, which is going to be larger than the largest in the world. The anchor tenants are also in place.

Gujarat's rate of growth in agriculture is running at a record level - tell us milestone by milestone how this has been possible.
Very true. Gujarat's rate of growth in agriculture is running at a record level. Gujarat's growth in agriculture has been at 9.6 per cent for the last six years. This is more than three times the national average. This growth is impressive not only in economic terms, but in terms of finding solutions to our historic problems in agriculture. Earlier, Gujarat was never known for its agriculture development. It has been a perennially water-scarce state marked by recurrent droughts.

While we have implemented macro projects like Narmada, Sujalam suflam, river interlinking, we have worked equally hard on water harvesting and conservation. Today we are the only state where groundwater level is rising!
We simultaneously empowered our farmers. Through soil health cards, my farmer knows which crop to sow and which nutrient to use. We are working hard for introducing drip and sprinkler irrigation. Today there are villages in Gujarat where all farms are micro irrigated. We are also bringing more wastelands under cultivation. The enhanced quality of living in the rural areas has also contributed to the motivation of farmers, especially the young generation, to continue farming as an occupation.

How much has dairy farming played a role in this?
Dairy has been a traditional strength of Gujarat's economy in general and of the rural sector in particular. The high growth in agriculture is also partly due to high growth in livestock output and value addition on the milk products..

What are your mantras for quality governance in Gujarat?
I believe that if you set up proper systems of governance, if you have policy driven governance, if you inculcate transparency in governance, the speed is a natural outcome and corruption naturally goes. Use of technology is another key factor. We have introduced a number of initiatives in e-governance. Our one-day, governance centers are live examples of speedy and efficient delivery of public services. Besides, simplification of procedures and rationalisation of tax structures also lead to less corruption and speedy implementation. More importantly, I gave stability of tenure to my senior officials, which made a big difference.

How do you ensure your team of ministers and top bureaucrats acts absolutely along the lines that you set them on?
There is only a one liner which we strictly follow: our governance has to be policy driven, proactive and pro-people. The commitment of the top, if well meaning, does not take time to percolate. Moreover, we have devised innovative ways for sharing of ideas and information and evolving common strategies.