By IANS,
New Delhi : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday his state’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was 11 percent, which was more than of China, while the agriculture growth rate stood at a high 9.6 percent.
Addressing an interactive session on the concluding day of the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Modi said while the agriculture growth rate in the country was around three percent, in Gujarat it was 9.6 percent for the past few years.
“Agricultural growth has helped us in eradicating rural poverty,” he said.
Earlier, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia invited suggestions from non-resident Indians (NRIs) on the approach paper to the 12th Five Year Plan as chief ministers spelt out the initiatives of their governments at the session.
Ahluwalia, who chaired the ‘Interaction with chief ministers on inclusive growth’, said that many states in the Indo-Gangetic belt had picked up in growth parameters and “change taking place in India was being dramatically enacted in individual states”.
He said some states, which were doing well in the past, had realised they have to do a lot better to stay at the top.
He said the Planning Commission was working on an approach paper to the 12th Plan and had provided a window on its website for people to give suggestions. “Anyone from anywhere abroad can suggest what to take into account to chart the 12th Plan,” he said.
Modi, in his speech, said that Gujarat was manifesting the colours of the tricolour in its development model.
Elaborating on the colours of the national flag, he said: “We ushered in a white revolution through milk production in the cooperative sector. Milk is being exported to countries like Singapore and to Europe. The green colour symbolizes green revolution and Gujarat has agricultural achievements to its credit.
“The saffron colour symbolizes energy and Gujarat is a petro-chemical hub and has taken major initiatives in the field of solar energy,” he said.
Modi said the state had taken major steps to reduce maternal and child mortality rates and had a major share in creation of jobs in the country.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said his state had recorded around eight percent growth even during the period of global financial meltdown and investment of over Rs.1 lakh crore was in the pipeline.
He said the state had opened two investment promotion centres to facilitate people willing to start up units in the state. Hooda said his state’s land policy was a role model for other states.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said many expatriates from the state had risen to high political positions in countries such as Canada and the US.
“The Doaba region of the state can be called NRI capital of the country,” he said.
Badal said Punjab had only two percent of the country’s land area but provided more than 50 percent of wheat and rice requirement of the country.
The state, he said, was focusing on creating infrastructure including expressways, domestic and international airports and power generation.
He said another area of focus was administrative reforms to make it easier for people to get services.
“Three months from now, dealers will be able to give registration numbers for vehicles and so you don’t have to deal with the government. By March 31, land records will be computerized and NRIs can get authenticated copy of records through the internet,” he said.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said the state government had taken several steps that had brought a turnaround and the state’s average growth rate for the past five years has been around 11 percent.
Citing initiatives of the state government including appointment of two lakh teachers, distribution of free bicycles to girl students and uniform to children, he said that the Planning Commission should look at the option of cash disbursement to beneficiaries which had been successfully done in Bihar.
He said the state government intends to recruit one lakh teachers in this financial year.
Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said his state was a major tourist destination and had a high literacy rate. He said Goa had one of the best social security models in the country.