States News and Discussions

rajkumar · Post by **rajkumar** » 14 Jan 2011 14:28

RoyG wrote:Rajdeep and his fellow congress butt-buddy getting b*tch slapped by a Gujarati muslim and journalist.

http://ibnlive.in.com/#hp_player3

Please update url. Don't get anything by clicking the above link.

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 14 Jan 2011 15:13

^
http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/140386/is- ... ulate.html

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Jan 2011 22:36

The proposed investment of Rs 20.83 lakh crores is ~12 times the 2G scam. And all in one state. Truly Gujarat is going to become an economic giant. If the neighboring states have nay leaders with brains they will tryo to develop the adjacent districts to benefit from Gujarat's growth.

BTW, ZeeTv news had NM flying pathang (kite) with a dapper Dev Anand cap!

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 15 Jan 2011 04:15

Raghavendra wrote:^
http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/140386/is- ... ulate.html

The fact seems Congress is completely rattled today in Gujarat. No doubt NaMo has marketed him very well among mango people by doing Vibrant Gujarat and other stunts, more importantly he is trying his best to get more and more investments and improve Gujarat. No one cares if he has spent 100's of crores on such summit or how many MOU's are dropped as long as significant development is happening on the grounds. While OTOH Congress has just promised but nothing really has been delivered. It appears like Congress is well on the way to loose 2013 elections also.

amdavadi · Post by **amdavadi** » 15 Jan 2011 04:49

Cong has lost Guj for ever.

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 15 Jan 2011 06:25

not until another opposition comes along. now is the right time for gujarat to have another alternative other than congress.

One will need opposition parties. Now if this party also is in the "right" and able to throw congress even more off balance, then I will agree with your assessment.

Right now, all it requires for congress to come back is for BJP/Modi to make a single mistake. A single election where they get caste equations wrong. A single elections immediately after a natural disaster or a scam coming out. Congress will make "there is no alternative" argument to come back. So there HAS to be an alternative to congress, if it has to truly lose forever. and as of now, TINA favors congress

It is in these types of political games which congress excels in.

There is only one state where a party has been continuously in power, WB. It's ruthless crushing and killing of opposition parties and complete control of all the govt bodies shows what it will take to do it. I didnt hear anything of that sort in gujarat.

Notice that all the states in which congress is completely out of power, there are two other parties in the state. I would actually like to see the duality which DMK and AIADMK exhibit in TN to come out in Gujarat. whatever party rules, it is almost the same ideology with some polish here and there.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 15 Jan 2011 17:48

Even if 25% of these MOU's figures get translated into actual investments, Maharashtra its closest competitor will be left far behind.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 15 Jan 2011 19:29

amdavadi wrote:Cong has lost Guj for ever.

Absolutely true.

I happened to talk to secular govt workers earlier last year in the city and all of them, even though not ethnic gujuratis themselves but long time residents there were absolutely in praise of NM govt. I hope his successors there in the future can also keep the same momentum. Even the drivers and other odd people who were non-gujuratis also were positive about the state and its people. More power to this model state.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 17 Jan 2011 07:10

Couple of news items showing intense heartburn over Vibrant Gujarat. Perhaps Gujarat will suck investments from the rest of India and thereby cause the economic turmoil that will be necessary for a change in the political equations.

Hands off Gujarat, banks told

Officials from finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's office are calling up chairmen of banks to drop hints that their officers should not sign the MOUs (memoranda of understanding) the Gujarat government is making with the industrialists for the prospective investments in the state.

Gujarat may have cost Andhra Pradesh Hyundai, Bombardier projects

The state government had in fact decided to take an active part in Vibrant Gujarat event to attract some investments into the state. However, though it had decided to take a stall and showcase the state’s industry’s policy, the criticism over a Congress-ruled state participating in a programme organised by a BJP government did not allow it to pursue the plans.

arjunm · Post by **arjunm** » 17 Jan 2011 07:27

vera_k wrote:Couple of news items showing intense heartburn over Vibrant Gujarat.

Hands off Gujarat, banks told

Officials from finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's office are calling up chairmen of banks to drop hints that their officers should not sign the MOUs (memoranda of understanding) the Gujarat government is making with the industrialists for the prospective investments in the state.
Gujarat may have cost Andhra Pradesh Hyundai, Bombardier projects

The state government had in fact decided to take an active part in Vibrant Gujarat event to attract some investments into the state. However, though it had decided to take a stall and showcase the state’s industry’s policy, the criticism over a Congress-ruled state participating in a programme organised by a BJP government did not allow it to pursue the plans.

Can they do that? I think it is constitutionally illegal to direct banks to which state they should invest or not. I kind of feel it that this huge jamboree of investors signing MOU's with Modiji will not go down well with higherachy in the UPA govt.
This is a criminal intent of the lowest order.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 17 Jan 2011 08:06

Most of the big banks are owned by the government, so sure they can do that. Everyone needs job security and favours for the family. The saving grace is that given favourable rates available externally, government banks will face a lose-lose proposition.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 17 Jan 2011 11:03

When Indira Gandhi was mad with TN during the 60's & 70's, you know, when the country bumpkins pushed the Queen out of the state, all central sector industries were denied to TN and even existing ones were wound up and moved. There were some claims that in that fit of anger she signed away katcha tivu to Lanka.

TN dropped from amongst the top 5 most industrialized states to number 18 at one point IIRC. Oh! we remember the family here alright. Don't put anything past them. It is not for nothing that TN people won't touch a national party with a barge pole. This applies to both the claimants.

I would advice Gujarat to depend on its own strength. Everything else is Maya. Stay away from becoming the national ideological 'experiment'. Nothing good will come of it.

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 17 Jan 2011 12:09

Theo Saar,
Which existing ones were wound up/ moved?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Jan 2011 21:07

Many PS undertakings were allowed to get rundown and wound up as white elephants.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 18 Jan 2011 12:07

Look up the history of the development of Tuticorin port and why it remains a minor port. Even back then the state always wanted to make this the primary port of TN. But with no central funds...

Also despite TN having the most automotive component and car manufacturing facilities where was the Maruti factory located again??

by that favorite son Rajiv Gandhi no less...

After BHEL Tiruchi in the 1950's all new plants have been located outside TN.

You must remember that back then the center controlled ALL the financial levers. All states had to suck from this teat or suffer. TN, WB and occasionally Kerala were the only states that actively refused to buckle under this philosophy, even if it was for sometimes foolish reasons. TN always believed that the center should get out of economic incentives and organization as this was something best handled by the states though the real reason was that aversion for 'North Indian' influence. We paid for it with 4 presidential rules and complete absence of CPSE's. To this day there are no major CPSE's that have come after 1960. HPF is bankrupt and doesn't count. Neyveli was the 50's, Salem steel was pre independence, same with Madras Refineries, BHEL Tiruchi was from early 60's, ETC.

HPF - Essentially bankrupted by 1985
IDPL - Closed
SPCL - Essentially moved/closed out by 1980's

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 18 Jan 2011 13:20

Saar,

Toothukudi is a major port.

OT meaningless 'banter':To stoke the 'ancient' Chozha-Pandya thingy,TR Baalu was more interested in Nagapattinam than toothukudi.Kalaignar not a great fan of Korkai,remember the acerbic dialogues from 'Poompuhar',the righteous lamentations of the cruelly wronged Kannagi.(Ofcourse,Artiste will not ask for 'proof' of Silapathikaram.)

While I agree to your premise substantially,I dont think any industries were shifted/shut down.Many PSEs became sick because of multiole reasons in many parts.

BHEL units are all around India.Ranipet did come up in TN.

Let us not forget that TN was in the lead in 50s and 60s upto Kamaraj.ICF,Defence production in Avadi,MRL come to mind.Also industrial licencisng under TTK distributed indusrtries around.It was the East which bore the brunt under freight equalisation etc.
Let us not forget TVS,Simpson,India Cements,Standard Motors,Mettur Chemicals,SPIC of Chettinad group,TI Investments of Murugappa Group,Ashok Leyland which all came up in that era.

In the 80s,Kalpakkam was a huge investment in both economic and strategic fronts.

In the 90s,after liberalisation,TN is in the forefront in the auto industries-given the advantages Madras posseses.

The DMK has never had any coherent vision except instituting Rajmannar commitee for provoking the Centre.The latest round of industrialisation was inaugrated by the much maligned Jayalalitha in 90s.Ford,Hyundai and St Gobain came in this period.Kalaignar has been burning the midnight oil since c1998 for making up lost time.

My rambles FWIW.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 18 Jan 2011 16:05

BTW, in the socialist republic the constant whine is that no one is bothered with quick implementation of the Vallarpadam container terminal, or the bigger one Vizhinjam container terminal. The common reason given out is that the prominence of the Thoothukudi Port would be lost (along with Colombo etc.). Vizhinjam is a natural harbour, where even the current biggest ships can come in smoothly.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 18 Jan 2011 20:05

Venkat,

I don't think it was the DMK that was always the political problem. Remember 1980 when DMK-Congress combine brought MGR down. Go back and read the full story on that and what happened when MGR came back to power. I do think Amma was good for TN in the first few years.

Almost all the private industry in TN came up because the Central government was not present. SPIC for instance, or Coromandel/India cement, or even Apollo hospitals.

As far as Tuti, how can it be a major port with a draft of 10 meters. Most modern ports need 18 M. Not only that none of the major shipping lines call there. As far as Korkai, it is completely sedimented over and far to the South.

Sachin,

WRT Vallarpadam, I thought the problem was transport linkages. For instance there was no proper rail link. Even road connection was problematic. And even Cochin port had that odd situation where the Airport had to clear rail traffic or a landing aircraft would run into the train!

It would be wonderful if Tuti and Vallarpadam were linked up so ships could stop at either one.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 19 Jan 2011 02:01

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 315607.cms

SURAT: The new Darul Uloom vice-chancellor, Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, said "all communities" are prospering in Narendra Modi's Gujarat and there was "no discrimination against the minorities in the state as far as development was concerned." He was talking to TOI here on Tuesday.

This is arguably the most significant endorsement of Modi. Darul Uloom, based in Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, is a leading Islamic seminary in India and the fount of the Deobandi thought, which has adherants well beyond the country's borders, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Vastanvi, himself a Gujarati from Surat, is an MBA graduate and has been instrumental in introducing modern subjects in institutions run by Darul Uloom in Gujarat and Maharashtra, including medicine, engineering and allied subjects. His recent election as the Darul Uloom chief is seen as a possible change catalyst in this conservative seminary.

It's not easy for the man holding this chair to be charitable towards Modi, the person who has been accused of persecuting Muslims during and after the 2002 Gujarat riots. Asked about the riots, Vastanvi didn't give Modi a clean chit, but stressed that it was now time to move on.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 19 Jan 2011 12:25

MBA Maulana lauds Modi's Gujarat

http://www.zeenews.com/news681584.html

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 20 Jan 2011 07:18

Is it time to acknowledge the Gujarat ‘miracle’?

The proclamations of faith in Gujarat are all the more meaningful because they have been made despite the Centre’s unremitting displeasure with anything that could bolster Modi’s credentials. Modi doesn’t usually win awards for being the “Reformer of the Year” or for innovative governance. In fact, he doesn’t even make it to the shortlist.

The second feature is the curious phenomenon of the near-absence of political corruption at the top. Even Modi’s worst enemies will not deny that the chief minister’s fanatical personal integrity has had a salutary trickle-down effect. Irritated by politically inspired extortion, industry has identified Gujarat as a place where it is possible to do ethical business.

also he has the lowest number of minsters in govt.
lessons for other govts in India particularly rajmata and her govt with all the stink

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 20 Jan 2011 09:29

^ hey Krishna-ji

How can you say that?

PM of India Sri Man Mohan Singh; Mr. Clean, Mr. Sleepless, Mr. Efficiency, bringer of wealth to India, creator of modern India, initiator of Financial reforms need to learn on clean governance from Yindoo Modi.

Blasphemer

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 20 Jan 2011 09:47

India has a lot to gain from Vibrant Gujarat meets

Link

The fifth Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS) 2011, a biennial event initiated in 2003, was held on January12-13, 2011, at Mahatama Mandir, near Gandhinagar. Institutionalisation of various economic development-related promotional activities under the VGS represents an important innovation deserving much closer study both nationally and internationally.

Since its beginning in 2003, VGS has refined and broadened its aims and vision, particularly in moving beyond pro-actively encouraging investments and promoting Gujarat. The investment commitments have increased in successive VGSs. They were Rs0.66 lakh crore in 2003; Rs1 lakh crore in 2005; Rs4.6 lakh crore in 2007; Rs12.44 lakh crore in 2009; and estimated at Rs20.83 lakh crore in 2011.

Transformation of initial investment commitments into actual implementation and operations has, consistent with international experience, been much lower. The official estimates are that the proportion of projects announced during the 2007 and 2009 VGS that are being implemented is 40% and 60% respectively.

The cumulative figure of the investment flow resulting from the four previous VGSs is officially projected at $370 billion (Rs16.7 lakh crore). A rigorous assessment of this estimate is, however, not feasible without access to the methodology employed, and underlying data. Even with this caveat, Gujarat’s progress and growth performance over the last decade indirectly suggests that the cumulative investments generated by the VGS have been quantitatively and qualitatively significant.

An important feature of governance in Gujarat has been not to regard each VGS as a discrete event, but to integrate it in the broader governance philosophy and day to day administration.
The fifth VGS represents a new evolutionary phase as it has successfully initiated the process of establishing India as a global business, knowledge, technology acquisition and sharing hub.

A robust finding from the growth theory is that acquisition, adaptation and diffusion of knowledge embodied in human resources, capital and equipment, and in organisations and institutions is the primary factor contributing to sustained and broad-based high growth.

The thrust of the fifth VGS is thus consistent with the sophisticated theory of what makes countries grow in a balanced manner, and can therefore contribute significantly to realising the objective of an advanced India. The 21st century national and global challenges require best minds from diverse fields to regularly communicate with each other in a conducive atmosphere, and the VGS has established a track record to be considered one such global platform.

Several features of the fifth VGS lend credence to this assessment.

First, the fifth VGS enthusiastically provided opportunities to other states to promote business opportunities and investments in their states. The vision, therefore, is of VGS as an occasion for promoting India as a country, and not just the state of Gujarat. Such national vision is particularly welcome in the current over-politicised and partisan environment in which the core national interests are not always given due importance.

It is reported that 12 states, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the Northeast states (whose further rapid integration with the rest of the country is a national imperative) took advantage of the fifth VGS to promote investments in their respective states.

The absence of Maharashtra, a neighboring state, with many complementarities with Gujarat, and of Rajasthan from the fifth VGS reflects poorly on the state leadership’s understanding of requirements for growth and on their vision.

Second, Japan and Canada were the partner countries for the fifth VGS, along with UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation). Japan is arguably the most important strategic partner of India in Asia. Japan’s proficiency in manufacturing technology and practices, and energy efficiency of its economy, including its expertise in ecologically modern cities, is of vital interest to India. In addition, its assistance for India’s railways sector has been significant. This was the second successive VGS in which Japan was partner.

Canada is a resource-rich country, attempting to diversify its global linkages. Its relatively large physical size and comparatively small population (34 million in 2010) complement India’s needs as well, with many mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities.
During the fifth VGS, US, Australia, Rwanda and Mozambique were also officially represented. The remarks of Ron Somers, president of US-India business council, that the two countries could be knowledge partners suggest the potential for US to be a partner country for the next VGS.

The fifth VGS had representations from more than one third of the countries of the world, spanning several continents.

An important new dimension of the fifth VGS was the meetings and seminars of business, political, academic and other leaders to discuss global issues. The topics included solar energy, corporate responsibility and sustainable development and India’s growth trends and prospects.

The above represents a significant international presence and a good beginning in positioning India as a global business, knowledge and technology sharing hub.

Third, there were several novel and innovative initiatives announced during the fifth VGS. For example, the Gujarat Government and TeamLease Services, a private sector human resources firm, will be setting up India’s first vocational educational university, which will have 22 community colleges operating under it.

Projections by the United Nations show that India will need to generate productive livelihoods for 120 million persons, equivalent to 28% of the global total between 2010 and 2020, at an annual average of 12 million. No other country faces such a daunting challenge in generating livelihoods.

Despite this, the emphasis at the centre and in most states has remained on preserving existing jobs and livelihoods, even when they are no longer relevant, rather than on creating new livelihoods.

Providing skills, which are in demand in the economy and helping to bridge the gap between formal education and employability, will ease a major constraint in creating new livelihoods and empower all sections of the society to become self reliant rather than having an entitlement mentality.

Another example concerns the proposal for Asia’s first tidal power plant, with initial capacity of 50 mw. This will be a joint venture between Gujarat Power Corporation and a London-based marine energy developer. This proposal is consistent with India’s national objective of increasing the share of renewable energy in total energy.

Gujarat must aspire to improve its record in transforming initial commitments into operational projects. Greater focus on aspirational rather than entitlement politics could help generate even greater benefits to India from the VGS initiative.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 20 Jan 2011 10:15

^

I hope in the next Vibrant Gujarat meet NM ropes in other BJP states such as KTaka, MPradesh, Jarkhand etc., and start opening up those states also.

If Delhi doesn't want to lead India, then Karnavati can replace it.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 20 Jan 2011 10:33

someone rightly said - gujarat is progressing by 'nano'second

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 20 Jan 2011 10:49

Would be interesting to see actually how much is really getting invested on the grounds infact. How many billions $$ of MoU's are signed is not enough to give good idea. Probably someone need file a RTI.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 20 Jan 2011 12:38

Well the 2007 version had something like $150 Billion in MOU's.
And the 2009 version had $250 Billion worth.

It doesn't appear that much of it has materialized yet. I hope this doesn't turn into a TFTA thing.

The one thing I always feel about Gujarat is the lack of a focus on a social transformation into a modern society. Can't depend on the guy up top for ever...

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 20 Jan 2011 15:31

Gaurav_S wrote:Would be interesting to see actually how much is really getting invested on the grounds infact. How many billions $$ of MoU's are signed is not enough to give good idea. Probably someone need file a RTI.

Such huge amount cannot be invested overnight. MoUs are not binding to anyone. If industrial houses showing interest in investing == conducive environment to do business.

A sugar factory with investment of 50 crore take two years to start commercial production in full scale. Thousands of crores will trickle in span of 5-10 year actually. Forget about lacs of crores.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 20 Jan 2011 20:21

Since we are now discussing Gujarath and how much money the state may generate in a few years. I must use this opportunity to show case the might of the "Socialist Republic of Kerala". With news such as this, the state should be getting more business men planning to run their show in the state.
VGuard MD caught off guard by CITU tactics
KOCHI: Even as the CPM and its trade union have adopted a stand against 'Nokkukooli,' VGuard managing director Kochouseph Chittilappilly had to don the role of a headload worker as the CITU members stopped his employees from unloading goods at the VStar godown here on Wednesday. But, the efforts by Kochouseph Chittilappilly turned futile as the CITU men were not ready for a compromise.

The issue began on Monday, when the CITU members prevented the company employees from unloading goods brought to VStar godown.

'Nokku Kooli' for the uninitiated means 'fee for seeing' (and doing nothing). Kerala has a wonderful rule (formulated decades back) which said that only certain folks registered into various head-load workers union are authorised to shift goods from one place (or vehicle) to another. There was a time when even individual house holds were forced to 'avail their service'. But now I guess it is only restricted to factories or company godowns. With the advent of goods moving equipment and bull dozers, JCBs etc., these unionised labour force was not required for any major operation. Now what did these folks started doing? They started typical mafia style extortion. These sort of labour unions (every party has it, and all are equally bad) are generally the first rung foot soldiers for the political parties. And disputes with them are to be dealt at the local labour court (when the goods which needs to be unloaded/loaded on time would remain on the way side).

PS: Labour unions like the ones for head load workers etc. may have been neccessity at one point of time (to provide minimum wages, and to avoid exploitation). But today they are the biggest exploiters and looters.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 20 Jan 2011 21:45

Theo_Fidel wrote:The one thing I always feel about Gujarat is the lack of a focus on a social transformation into a modern society. Can't depend on the guy up top for ever...

The only way to do this in 1 generation is to urbanise with a vengeance. Gujarat is probably close (10 years away) to the tipping point where urban voters will outnumber rural. Once that happens, the risk of backsliding into UPA style handout politics will be minimal.

paramu · Post by **paramu** » 21 Jan 2011 02:04

Why this craziness for unsustainable urbanization? If Modi is doing what he does without urbanizing, he should be praised for that.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 21 Jan 2011 04:07

Cool system in UP to monitor mid-day meals in school. And I was surprised to see UP implementing something like this!

Armed with a cellphone, UP keeps tab on schools’ mid-day meal

For the past six months, around noon every day, a cellphone rings in 1.5 lakh government schools across Uttar Pradesh. On the other end of the line is a computer-generated voice asking if the mid-day meal in the school has been cooked or not, and how many children have been served.
...
...
The information gathered through the interactive voice response system by the computer is automatically recorded on the website of the UP Mid-day Meal Authority. If the meal has not been served in a school, officials can call up, find out the reason, and take corrective action.
...
...
The Supercaller system is based on a technology called ‘cloud telephony’. “It has helped us track the meal each day, and eliminate problems,” says Santosh Rai, Additional Director of UP’s Mid-day Meal Authority.
...
...
Earlier, if the gram pradhans responsible for running the scheme stopped distribution of meals at their whim, or there were other problems in the supplies reaching a school, the administration would get to know weeks later, usually from newspaper reports.
...
How it works

At the beginning of the phone call, the teacher is informed that the call is being made on behalf of the Mid-day Meal Authority. It asks the teacher to punch in the number of students who were served the meal that day. If the teacher punches in zero, he is given four reasons and told to punch in the appropriate number. The reasons are: 1. The cook was absent; 2. There was no raw material for cooking; 3. Transportation problems (in case of centralised cooking for a cluster of schools); and 4. Other reason. The responses are simultaneously recorded on the website of the Mid-day Meal Authority.
...

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 21 Jan 2011 06:10

according to wkikileaks rajmata never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

political skills of the 2G are media staged and hyped.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 21 Jan 2011 08:31

paramu wrote:Why this craziness for unsustainable urbanization? If Modi is doing what he does without urbanizing, he should be praised for that.

Gujarat was 37% urban in 2001. Modi is trying to increase this as quick as he can. Remember his comments about there being no rural areas in Gujarat?

Yash · Post by **Yash** » 21 Jan 2011 08:42

Anyone here heard of Narendra Modi's new book (he's authored about 6 but this is the first one in angrezi)...Called "Convenient Action", it is subtitled something like "Gujarat's Response to Challenges Of Climate Change".

The book was released by venerable A Kalam on Dec 21st last year but there are only a couple of reviews online. It's published by Macmillan. If worthies here can pick it up in desh, can one of you post a quick review for our general consumption?

It appears to be mostly a hodge-podge of stats & plots of Gujarat's "green" investments and as such may be a worthwhile compendium to how policy & state action can lead to sustainable change.

Book link: http://www.flipkart.com/convenient-acti ... 0230331920

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 21 Jan 2011 14:01

vera_k wrote:
paramu wrote:Why this craziness for unsustainable urbanization? If Modi is doing what he does without urbanizing, he should be praised for that.
Gujarat was 37% urban in 2001. Modi is trying to increase this as quick as he can. Remember his comments about there being no rural areas in Gujarat?

Urban in quality. that was what he wanted to convey.

means rural areas with urban facilities. the dream of APJAK.

arjunm · Post by **arjunm** » 22 Jan 2011 00:08

WSJ article on Gujrat's economic miracle

Go Go Gujarat

As the curtain fell last week on India's most visible business jamboree, the clumsily named biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit, you could be forgiven for experiencing a sense of déjà vu.

As they had two years earlier, investors pledged to sink vast sums—upward of $450 billion, or about one-third of India's GDP—in the western Indian state's soaring economy. As in the past, a parade of India's top businessmen—among them Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra—lavished praise on Gujarat's progress under Narendra Modi, the state's 60-year-old business-friendly chief minister, and a leading figure in the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). And unsurprisingly, going by press reports, Mr. Modi retained his place as India's most polarizing politician: loved and loathed in equal measure.

Nine years after Hindu-Muslim riots killed more than 1,000 people, three-quarters of them Muslim, the violence continues to cast a shadow over how Indians talk about Gujarat. Mr. Modi's critics accuse him of either abetting or failing to control the bloodletting in 2002. His supporters say he is a scapegoat for events largely beyond his control.

To be sure, this larger national conversation, at its heart about morality in public life, will not disappear any time soon. (Mr. Modi says he is innocent; a team appointed by the Supreme Court is investigating the charges against him.) But it ought not to obscure another, equally important, question: What can the rest of India learn from Gujarat's economic success?

Think of Gujarat as a slice of East Asia—say Japan in the 1960s or South Korea in the 1980s—set amidst the dust and drama of the Indian subcontinent. For nearly a decade now, the state on the edge of the Arabian Sea has averaged double-digit growth rates, the only large Indian state to do so. With only 5% of India's 1.1 billion people, Gujarat accounts for almost one-third of the country's stock-market capitalization, more than one-fifth of its exports, and about one-sixth of its industrial production. Per-capita electricity consumption in the state is about twice the national average.

Twenty years ago, before the advent of economic reforms, the average Gujarati was about four-fifths as rich as the average resident of Maharashtra, the neighboring state that has long been India's industrial heartland. In 2008, according to the Reserve Bank of India's most recent figures, per-capita incomes in Gujarat and Maharashtra were virtually identical— just over $1,000 in nominal terms—despite the latter housing Mumbai, the country's business capital.

Under Mr. Modi, Gujarat has acquired a reputation for aggressively wooing both domestic and foreign investors. In 2008, it snagged the Tata Group's flagship Nano car project after political unrest forced the company to flee Communist-ruled West Bengal. The state houses India's two largest oil refineries, and one of the world's largest automated coal terminals. Its roads, ports and power plants are among the best in the country. Among its prominent foreign investors: General Motors, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Canada's Bombardier.

What explains this superior performance? In a nutshell: a fortuitous mix of geography, culture and leadership. Gujarat, which has India's longest coastline, has been a trading culture for centuries. It also houses one of India's most entrepreneurial populations.

In Gujarat, wealth tends to be respected rather than merely envied. The global Gujarati diaspora—with its fingers in everything from real estate in east Africa to diamond trading in Belgium to motels and newspaper kiosks in the United States—fertilizes the state with know-how, ideas and international contacts.
Mr. Modi's supporters tend to exaggerate his contribution to the state's prosperity. Gujarat's culture and geography set it on the path to faster development as soon as New Delhi loosened the dead hand of the federal government with reforms in 1991. Nonetheless—apart from the major blemish of the 2002 riots—the chief minister can be proud of his record of governance.
Unlike much of India, Gujarat has streamlined and rationalized procedures for land allocation and environmental clearances. For instance, the Tata Nano project took just three days to get the green light in 2008. Foreign investors can use a web portal to track paperwork and make complaints.
In the business community, the famously frugal Mr. Modi has earned a reputation for not only being personally honest, but also for setting the tone for his administration. He is also perhaps the only major Indian politician—in a political culture built on government handouts—to espouse the gospel of small government. His motto: "minimum government and maximum governance."
The Gujarat council of ministers has just 20 members, remarkable for a large state. Unlike many Indian politicians, Mr. Modi, a bachelor, has no loutish offspring who expect to inherit political power by right. By appealing to pan-Gujarati pride, he has largely transcended the caste equations that marked Gujarat politics in the 1980s and still define elections—and the flawed policies that flow from them—in much of India.

In the end, most states can't hope to replicate, at least not overnight, Gujarat's entrepreneurial culture and sensible attitudes toward wealth creation. But other elements of the state's model—strong leadership, anti-corruption efforts, a streamlined bureaucracy and a welcoming attitude toward business—can travel without damage across its borders. And Mr. Modi, Gujarat's longest-serving chief minister, is proof that good governance can also be good politics. The sooner more states figure this out, the better it will be for India.

Mr. Dhume is a columnist for WSJ.com and a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. Follow him on Twitter @dhume01.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 13796.html

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 22 Jan 2011 01:09

Murugan wrote:means rural areas with urban facilities. the dream of APJAK.

That maybe but the real definition of Urban starts with population density. Often something like 1500+ persons per sqkm.

For the future prosperity of our people we need to be 90% + Urban ASAP. This silly argument has gone on long enough with our shameful neglect/underinvestment of our cities the result. It is also better for the environment and countryside. Need to start planning for it now. In any case weather we plan for it or not the people are coming.

For instance Chennai and Banglore have enlarged their metropolitan areas by 5 times. Meaning they expect to be 25 million person cities in fairly short order. Gujarat should plan for the same.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 22 Jan 2011 03:26

Theo_Fidel wrote:For the future prosperity of our people we need to be 90% + Urban ASAP.

Can you explain why?

shyam · Post by **shyam** » 22 Jan 2011 09:44

Urban life will take much more resources than rural life. Urban population is more vulnerable to major shocks. For the long term sustainability of our civilization, right balance of rural and urban life is needed. 90% urban is ridiculous. People tend to associate poverty with rural life, which is true in many parts of the country, and that is what we need to get rid of. If Modi brings prosperity to rural population, that is the right way to go.