‘TRYING MY BEST TO TAKE MODIJI’S VERSION OF GUJARAT FORWARD’
Monday, 15 June 2015 | Nayan Dave
To step into the larger than size shadow of Narendra Modi in itself is a big challenge in Gujarat, but the Gujarat’s first woman Chief Minister Anandiben Patel turned a year at the helm last month deftly pursuing her predecessor’s initiatives as well as marrying her own ideas. Still, to compare Anandiben, 74, to her mentor would be expecting a wee bit too much and that too just in 12 months.
In keeping with her school principal image — tough as well as low profile which some wrongly interpret as arrogance — she has gone about her task quite methodically. While Modi fashioned Gujarat as an ideal investment destination, she is marinating it with focussed plans on health, education and gender issues. While Modi needed to prove in special circumstances given the 2002 communal frenzy that Gujarat had the right social, political and economic climate for investment, it is incumbent upon Anandiben to set right the human development index that gels well as a lady chief minister hailing from an academic backdrop.
In a free-wheeling two-hour interview to Nayan Dave, Anandiben held forth on achievements of her Government on during the year that went by. Excerpts:
How will you describe the achievements of your Government in one year?
I believe that I have given further impetus to the strong development orientation of Gujarat Government, the foundation for which was laid during the decade of unprecedented growth under the leadership of Narendra Modi. My purpose of adopting the programme ‘Gatisheel Gujarat’ was to build up on this solid advantage that Narendrabhai’s leadership created for the State.
Two phases of Gatisheel Gujarat have been completed successfully and the third one is under implementation. We have focused on economic and political empowerment of women. We are laying stress on malnutrition. You may also recall that in the last one year we could organise and execute the biggest ever Vibrant Gujarat 2015 summit, which is already translating in renewed interest among global and national players in the State.
The success can be attributed to our experience in dealing with investors, which is by now institutionalised in the State. We focused on employment generating industries, MSMEs and also provided platforms for other countries to showcase their strengths and opportunities. I’m trying my best to take Modiji’s version of Gujarat forward.
How is your style of functioning different than that of Narendra Modi?
Each of us has a distinct style of functioning. I may say that I have added to my experience during the years that I worked with Modiji as Chief Minister of Gujarat. I also try to spend almost two-third of my time among the people by regular visits to every corner of the State. This helps me get a first-hand feedback to re-orient the Government programmes to respond effectively to the needs of the people at the grassroots level.
Maintaining the right balance between social and industrial sectors has always been a big challenge for any Government. How did you overcome it?
Gujarat has seen double digit rate of growth in the last one decade and much of it has come together with high productivity in agriculture and large investments in the manufacturing sector. At the same time, it cannot be forgotten that in the last decade, we also started “Kanya Kelvani Mahotsav” and “Shala Praveshotsav” for enrolment of children in primary education, we started Chiranjeevi Yojana and Janani Suraksha Yojana for safe motherhood, and we introduced Garibi Kalyan Yojana for increasing transparency and poverty alleviation programmes. This is why you see continued balance between social and industrial sectors.
On the one hand, we are encouraging new investments and diversification of economic activities through our new policies on various industries. And on the other, we are pushing in more resources into the social sector, particularly in school education, medical care, affordable housing and sanitation programme. As much as 48 per cent of the plan size in 2015-16 is allocated for social sector.
Why a distinct gender budget?
The objective of presenting the gender budget is to highlight the large range of schemes, which are available for economic and social empowerment of women in Gujarat. It also served as a tool to sensitize functionaries within Government as well as civil society about the need for specific initiative to facilitate women to fulfil their potential. I am sure that in the years to come more innovative schemes will be prepared. Already in the last one year, we have introduced the schemes for assisting milk cooperatives managed by woman. We have envisaged industry assistance purely for women entrepreneurs.
Cleanliness and a State free from open defecation are the two goals of your Government. How do you plan to achieve them?
I sincerely believe that this is not just a programme for building toilets but a holistic way of life for inculcating the idea of clean habitat in the entire society. It is a programme that has large public health benefits. The construction of toilets at the household level is something that has brought a lot of response not only from households across the State but also from NGOs and business establishments.
People are coming forward to contribute to this campaign because they realise the importance of this aspect in the lives of women and girl child. In 2014-15, about 60 per cent of toilets were built in the country but in Gujarat we have already built about over six lakh units. There are challenges of non-availability of space in congested areas. We are coming up with new models to address these constraints.
What were the major challenges as Chief Minister in the first year?
The challenge was to meet the expectations of the people and ensure that there is no slow down in the developmental path created by Modiji in Gujarat. I am confident that I have met this challenge successfully along with my Cabinet colleagues and continued support of the people of Gujarat. I focused on greater interaction between the Government and the common man and more emphasis on timely implementation of developmental programmes.
Education sector has always remained close to your heart. What did your Government do in one yearand what are the future plans?
It is true that I have a passion for education sector. Among several other things, I am encouraging access to private schools for the weaker sections of the society by increasing the assistance to the students.
The State Government has already brought down the dropout ratio. In the near future, we would like to move towards a concept of zero dropout so that any child after completion of Class VIII would continue education or skill development programmes at least till the age of 18.
A ministerial sub-committee has also been set up with experts to give me the road map for improving the quality of higher education.
Recently two new universities have been started in the under-served areas in the tribal belt and the Saurashtra region. Two more are on the anvil. Ten new Government colleges have also been started in the near past.
The BJP witnessed a series of victories under Modi. Now, the local body elections in October this year would be fought under your leadership. Do you feel the pressure?
I believe that the people of Gujarat have always supported development. In the local body elections, people will vote based on their experience of the last five years in which incredible efforts have been made in improving the infrastructure and delivery of municipal services in urban areas. Large programmes for housing and welfare schemes have been taken up in the rural areas also. This will help form citizens opinion and support the BJP Government.
Over the past one decade, Gujarat was having plethora of issues with the Central Government. With change of guards at the Centre, how things have changed for the State?
With Narendrabhai taking over the leadership in the Central Government, Gujarat has benefited through resolution of long standing pending issues. I also feel that all States have benefited in the regime with the concept of cooperative federalism and the increased respect and partnership being demonstrated by the Centre vis-à-vis the State.
As far as Gujarat is concerned, the permission for installing Gates of the Narmada Dam was pending for many years. It was resolved within 17 days of Modi becoming the Prime Minister. The Central Government has issued the Notifications for enabling the GIFT City at Gandhinagar as the first International Financial Services Centre in the country. The Union Cabinet has also approved the Metro Project in Ahmedabad with a project cost of Rs10,773 crore and developments in the Dholera Special Investment Region recently.
What is the outcome of your visit to China coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tour of the neighbouring country?
I visited China to participate in the newly created forum of States and provinces which was held as part of the visit of the Prime Minister to China. I also visited Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong since Gujarat State and Guangdong have entered into a Sister State agreement during the visit of the Chinese President and PM Modi to Ahmedabad in September, 2014.
The tour was extremely successful because it helped us to identify the sectors on which we can focus to optimise the benefits for Gujarat in this partnership. Twenty-two MOUs were signed. Large investment of upto Rs33,000 crore are planned in industrial parks, textile parks and development of small cities. In addition we could identify areas for cooperation such as MSMEs sector, skill upgradation, renewable energy, affordable housing, infrastructure and waste water treatment. I am also hopeful of increased people to people contact between the two States. The Governor Guangdong Zhu Xiaodan is expected to visit Gujarat in September, 2015 while senior Advisor Guangdong would be visiting in July, 2015
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