Narendra Modi is well known in India and across the globe as a leader who is totally committed to development and good governance. His record four terms as the Chief Minister of his home state of Gujarat in Western India exemplifies Narendra Modi’s commitment to a development Agenda, rising above all other political considerations. He ushered in a paradigm shift towards pro-people and pro-active good governance, bringing in a positive change in the life of each and every citizen of Gujarat. His tireless efforts were guided by the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (Collective efforts, inclusive growth) where each and every person was an important stakeholder in Gujarat’s development journey.
As he demitted office on 21st May 2014, Narendra Modi bid farewell to a Gujarat that had become a powerhouse of growth and had emerged as an important contributor to India’s development journey. Under his able leadership Gujarat became known for its quality infrastructure and excellent grievance redressal systems.Narendra Modi’s governance in Gujarat saw a government that listened to the people and one that built its success through equal economic growth in all three sectors namely agriculture, industry and services. Through innovation and emphasis on detail he brought in record investment that benefitted people of Gujarat and drew people from all over India to work in Gujarat and make a living.
When he took over as Chief Minister on 7th October 2001 Narendra Modi did not have much time to settle into his new job. The state was reeling under the aftereffects of a severe earthquake. Before the quake there were floods, a cyclone and successive droughts. The entire world had written off Gujarat and it was believed that Gujarat would take years to develop. Narendra Modi proved them all wrong. In a record span of time Gujarat was up and running and it became the cynosure of the world’s eyes.
Narendra Modi’s success as an administrator lay in his out of the box thinking and never say die spirit. When he took over as Chief Minister the people of Gujarat told him one thing- “Modi ji we want electricity atleast when we have our dinner”. Narendra Modi went beyond that! He dreamt of a Gujarat where there is 24/7 electricity all through the year and thus, the Jyotigram Yojana was born. Under this Yojana (scheme/initiative), feeders for agriculture and residential use were separated and over 78,000 kms of electricity lines, over 18,000 electricity transformers and 17 lakh electric poles were installed.
Jyotigram not only gave 24×7 electricity but also gave an impetus to the economic landscape of Gujarat. Most importantly, rural employment went up and rural migration reduced by almost 33%. School drop out and absenteeism rates fell drastically. Students could now study till late in the night without any fear of power cuts and patients could receive quality treatment all through the day.
While Jyotigram is among Narendra Modi’s most celebrated development initiatives, a more quiet transformation took place in providing water to the people and farmers of Gujarat. This was a focus area for Narendra Modi from Day 1. Over 10 lakh hectares of land came under drip irrigation. From 1960-2001 only 12,000 hectares of land came under drip irrigation. Lakhs of check dams have been built through people’s participation. Gross irrigated areas expanded by 57% in the last decade. The net sown area increased by 8% in Gujarat. Several Pani Samitis were formed where citizens took the lead in managing and operating drinking water supply.
The easy availability of electricity and the mass movement towards water conservation led to an unprecedented growth in Gujarat’s agriculture sector. Traditionally Gujarat is not known for agriculture and it was a drought prone state but from 2001 onwards that image has changed.
During Narendra Modi’s 12-year stint as Gujarat CM agriculture growth remained above 10% through the entire decade. Gujarat’s farmers became about 8 times richer from the time Narendra Modi took over in 2001 bringing smiles to many faces. There was also a 40% increase in agriculture land- from 106 lakh hectares to 145 lakh hectares.
It is Narendra Modi’s firm belief that – “a Government does not have any business doing business”. What a government should do, however is to create a positive climate that will bring investment. Instances of these approaches were seen time and again during the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Summits that brought record investment and gave a boost to employment creation in Gujarat. There was quantum jump in both the MoUs inked and the investment coming. At the same time the SMEs flourished in Gujarat. As of 2014 there were over 5 lakh SMEs in Gujarat contributing to its development and economic growth.
In his 4609 days as CM, Narendra Modi devoted topmost priority to social sectors of Gujarat such as healthcare and education. From 2001 till 2011 there was a marked increase of almost 80% in Gujarat’s literacy rate including a significant rise in female literacy. The credit for this goes to the Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Abhiyan spearheaded by Narendra Modi where during the peak summer the entire Government machinery went to across Gujarat and asked parents to educate their children.
In 2001 Gujarat had 11 Universities and in 2014 that number has shot up to 42. The number of Colleges stood at 442 today that had risen to 1762. The increase in engineering and medical seats has been manifold.
On the healthcare front, Narendra Modi waged a spirited battle against malnutrition. From 2007 till 2012 Gujarat witnessed a drop of 45% in malnutrition. Gujarat’s efforts to tackle malnutrition have also been appreciated by CAG report and other scholars. In tackling malnutrition there is still a lot more to be done across India but the effort put in Gujarat reveals the strong foundations laid by Narendra Modi and his commitment to eradicate malnutrition. Another initiative that is successfully implemented in Gujarat is the 108 Ambulance service that has saved several lives especially in the tribal areas of Gujarat.
Grievance redressal is the most important duty of any elected Government and under Narendra Modi Gujarat developed a wonderful grievance redressal system in SWAGAT, where grievance redressal was integrated with usage of technology in the larger interest of the common people. SWAGAT facilitated direct communication between the citizens and the Chief Minister. SWAGAT won several awards including a UN Public Service Award.
People have heard of One Day Cricket but Narendra Modi created something called ‘One Day Governance.’ This model focused on providing time bound services to citizens through e-governance. This eliminated red tape and brought smiles on the faces of people.
A firm believer in the philosophy of Antyodaya or reaching the very last person in the queue, Narendra Modi literally took the government to the poor through the Garib Kalyan Melas where the fruits of development reached the poor without any middlemen. Another example is the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana, a special package devoted to the tribal communities. When the scheme began in 2007 the package stood at Rs. 15,000 crore but today the package stands at Rs. 40,000 crore!
Narendra Modi did not have much time to catch his breath when he took over as CM in 2001 facing grave adversities and in challenging circumstances. But he rose to the occasion, turned every challenge into an opportunity and transformed Gujarat into a state that not only India but also the entire world is today proud of.
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