This Article is From Apr 09, 2013

Narendra Modi's address to West Bengal's business leaders: Highlights

Kolkata: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi addressed West Bengal's top business leaders in Kolkata. (Read) Here are the highlights of what Mr Modi said:

  • Earlier, I had the opportunity to come here during the Lok Sabha elections. The atmosphere that time was different, and we had a different objective.
  • I will learn from Bengal and adopt its practices in Gujarat.
  • For a high jump, you have to go back. Similarly, to move ahead, to get a new start, you have to reach back a little, learn from your past.
  • It is said this is the century of knowledge. But Bengal has been rich in knowledge and learning for 100s of years.
  • West Bengal's development will make the Eastern part of the country powerful.
  • The media wants me to say something about Bengal so that in the next day's papers the Gujarat government cannot be compared to the Bengal government. But I am not here for that.
  • To the media, please accept that I am not speaking for Kolkata, or Bengal, just pretend I am speaking in Ahmedabad and spare us the controversy.
  • What you are seeing in Gujarat, is because of our efforts for 10-12 years.
  • I have spent 10 years in filling the holes in my state that were created by my Congress friends.
  • Bengal too was potholed for 32 years, and filling this is a huge effort, and it is being done now. I believe steps are being taken in the right direction in Bengal but it will take many years.
  • If you are an UPA state you get a kind of treatment and if you are a non-UPA state you get a different treatment.
  • Here there was a left govt but the Vajpayee govt in Delhi never let Bengal complain.
  • When states do well the credit is taken by the Centre and when in trouble, it puts the entire burden on states. This attitude is not right for the integrity of the country.
  • I am an optimist and I look towards the future. On the basis on experience I say, with the same bureaucrats, the same systems, this country can move forward.
  • If we had usurped the land of farmers for industry, then we would not have added 18 lakh hectares in Gujarat to arable land.
  • We have water scarcity in Gujarat, but the agricultural growth in Gujarat in the last 10 years is nearly 10%. Across India, it is 2-3%. You know what kind of growth is achieved by that - it increases rural purchasing power.
  • Across India people don't have health cards for themselves. In Gujarat farmers have health cards for their soil.
  • The PM had made a committee to control inflation. I was made the chairman of that committee. We gave our report one-and-a-half year ago. I met the PM recently and asked, what happened to the report.
  • Our problem is we never have real-time data on produce and requirement.
  • We have divided our agricultural sector and laid emphasis on animal husbandry - we have increased the production of milk by 80%.
  • In India, people go to charitable trusts to get cataract operations.
  • Gujarat is perhaps the only state where cataract operations are performed on cattle, they get dental treatment - and that has resulted in 112 cattle diseases being eradicated in Gujarat.
  • Nobody has a textile policy like us. It is based on five Fs. Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign.
  • A Gujarati is always a tourist. Wherever you go in the world, you will always find Gujaratis there.
  • But Gujarat was never a tourist destination. We focused on that. Now in the last two years, Gujarat's growth in the tourism sector is double of the whole country's.
  • Gujarat is fast progressing towards becoming the solar capital in the world.
  • We were the first state who brought in a solar policy and we set the prices a 13 rupees a unit. The govt of India offers 19 rupees a unit for solar power but they have not been able to set up even 100 MW. We have got 3000 MW of solar energy and we are now achieving price parity.
  • Our revenue deficit was Rs 6700 cr. Today, we are a revenue surplus state.
  • We have not raised taxes in 12 years, just plugged all leakages.
  • I was asked by one and all in my state to better the electricity situation. People told me at least ensure that we have power when we eat dinner; we had a 2000MW shortfall. Now every house in my state has 24*7 electricity.
  • There are many states in India, where when you get electricity that's news. In Gujarat, if there is a power cut that is news. Even if there is a power cut in a village for 5 minutes, that is a box item in newspapers the next day.
  • If there is someone responsible for the plight of the country - the union govt is responsible. The coal is in the mines, the power plants sit idle and the file is in Delhi. 30,000 MW of capacity is lying idle.
  • They are destroying this country - they don't have the right intentions. The situation is not out of control - there are a lot of ideas but nothing is acted upon. I feel the pain - everything is right in front of you, but you don't do anything.
  • Once I told the PM that borders are deserts. Instead of fencing, let's put up solar panels. The PM was excited but that was two years ago.
  • They cut off our soldiers heads and we are feeding them - they say it is our culture, what culture?
  • We let two under-trial Italians go to their country to vote. Here, under-trial citizens of the country are not even allowed to attend their mother's funeral.
  • The youth of the world is in India. If we take advantage of the demographic dividend, we can change the face of the world.
  • We have the opportunity to make Swami Vivekananda's dream into a reality.
  • In India everyone can climb on to the development bandwagon.
  • This land of the Bengal has potential - without your strength and support, India's development will not be complete.

    Highlights of Mr Modi's answers from the Q&A round (Watch):

  • You cannot put one state's model into another state. It needs modification, not Modi-fication.
  • In any foreign policy, we have to put our interests  first. Today, by and large, the relations with the world is based on trade and commerce. It is the age of global economy - and that is at the centre of all borders.
  • In any group, we are participants and never leaders - not even in SAARC. We can't even lead the smaller nations in our neighbourhood.
  • How do we make the youth of our country productive? - through skill development.
  • For example, the world needs teachers, nurses. We can develop the human resources and export teachers and nurses. We can add a new paradigm to economic development.
  • I told the PM the age of solar energy is coming. You must take initiative and start a Sun movement with other countries. But there was no proactive role.
  • (On being asked for suggestions for developing tourism in Bengal): This time I am in Bengal as a student and my priority is to learn. I know Bengalis are best tourists - and they are guests,who never trouble their hosts. I want Bengalis to come to Gujarat in greater numbers to Gujarat; See the lions of Gir and the Rann of Kutch on a moonlit night.
  • Politician may have a last wish but I don't. I am an apolitical person.

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