Path To India Becoming USD 5-Trillion Economy Passes Through Uttar Pradesh: Amit Shah

Shah expressed confidence that the state will contribute to the target by becoming a USD 1-trillion economy and said the Yogi Adityanath government has removed the biggest hurdle to UP's development by improving the law and order situation.

Image: ANI

Lucknow: The path to achieving the country's target of a USD 5-trillion economy passes through Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday as the state launched works for 250 industrial projects worth Rs 65,000 crore. Shah expressed confidence that the state will contribute to the target by becoming a USD 1-trillion economy and said the Yogi Adityanath government has removed the biggest hurdle to UP's development by improving the law and order situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the target for the country to be among the top three economies in the world in the next five years, and "it is from this, that the idea of a USD 5-trillion economy originated", he said at a second ground breaking ceremony for the projects here, which was attended by several business leaders. Like the first ground breaking ceremony, which took place last year, the second edition also aims at bringing investments in UP, India's most populous state, and it is the third big event in this regard after the Investors Summit. "I have heard that the road to becoming prime minister passes through Lucknow. Atalji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) was from here, and Narendra bhai is also from UP (Modi is MP from Varanasi). Earlier, there were 85 parliamentary seats, now there are 80. "Today, I want to say, the road to a USD 5-trillion economy also passes through UP, and I'm sure that the state will contribute to it by becoming a USD 1-trillion economy," Shah said. In 2014, a new government was formed under PM Modi and he started concentrating on many sectors. It was then in a meeting he had said "in the near past governments functioned only to exist, but this dispensation will work to transform the nation", the home minister said. Shah said the Modi government started to transform every sector, be it security, economic development or culture, and the PM presented a model of development based on 'Sarva-Sparshi' (reaching every person) and 'Sarva-Samaveshi' (including all). In 2014, a beginning was made and a foundation to make it a USD 5-trillion economy was laid between 2014 and 2019, he said. "People who wanted to comment on this, are commenting on it. The PM has worked to lay a concrete foundation for achieving the target," he said. Shah said after the Vajpayee government, the UPA took over in 2004 and in the next 10 years, the economy remained at the 11th spot globally. "UPA leaders used to boast that the economy hasn't gone down. But in the last five years, from 11th we jumped to sixth. In the next five years, the target is to propel India into the top three ranks," he said. Citing that there had been an increase in allocation of funds to the state by the 14th Finance Commission, he assured investors that "along with the state government, the Centre is also committed to the development of UP". Lauding Chief Minister Adityanath for bringing several changes for UP's development, Shah said,"The Yogi government has removed the biggest hurdle in development by improving the law and order situation in the last two years." He said the BJP handed over the reins of power in UP to Adityanath because of his dedication and potential to work hard. "When Yogiji was made CM, no one had imagined it. Many people had called me up and said Yogiji has never even run a municipality. He was not a minister in any government. "He is a 'sanyasi' (ascetic) and peethadhish (seer), and you are making the person whose administrative experience is virtually nil CM of such a large state. Our aim was very clear that a person who has dedication and is willing to work hard will mould the circumstances in his favour," he said. In a big state like UP, development will take place when law and order situation is good, and "I can guarantee after five years, the state will be number one in terms of infrastructure", the home minister said. "Development isn't possible till the law and order situation is bad. I don't want to take the names of any government but the administration here had been badly politicised. "It had affected transparency and focus was to appease political leaders. But, under the present dispensation, the administration has been made 'Janata ka Sewak' in the real sense," Shah said. Shah, who is also the BJP president, said he got the opportunity to connect with the state in 2013, as an election in-charge. "When I went around, I came to know about the condition of the people, law and order situation. This pained me...In 2017, the BJP came and it's completing its mandate  to transform the state," he said. Shah said the PM has initiated a healthy competition among states and the result would be, as they improve so will the country. India climbed to 77 from 142 in five years on the ease of doing business list of the World Bank, he said. "There is a need to awaken self-confidence among the people of UP that their state can also become number one in the country, and that work has been done by Yogiji," Shah said, adding that 17 medical colleges have been built and 15 others are in the pipeline. On the state's 'one district, one product scheme', he said, "The BJP manifesto had said manufacturing of traditional items will be given a boost and marketed. Such industries are running successfully now in UP." Commercial courts have been established in various districts and the UP government has made sectors like information technology, dairy, civil aviation, tourism, renewable sources of energy,handicrafts, food and e-vehicles its focus areas, Shah said. Shah also spoke about the GST and said the biggest sales tax reform in the world is functioning well.