Author: Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: December 31, 2002
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/dec/31sheela.htm
Chief Minister Narendra Modi's new
year resolution is to lay the foundation of 21st century Gujarat in 2003.
And thanks to his resolve, the yearend holidays of all secretaries have
been spoilt.
They have been asked to prepare
a multimedia presentation. Modi has asked them three questions, the answers
to which should be presented on January 2, 2003, at a workshop of Indian
Administrative Service officers belonging to the Gujarat cadre.
The questions are:
* How do you look at today's Gujarat?
* What is your vision of Gujarat?
* How can you realise your vision
of Gujarat?
"I want to be a good listener. The
Gujarat election of 2002 was the first in the 21st century. It is the responsibility
of my government and my generation to lay the foundation of modern Gujarat...
We simply can't afford to think only about next 2 or 4 years. I want to
think about the long term," Modi told rediff.com
Modi has asked all his Cabinet colleagues
to keep a technocrat in their offices. He has also asked the district administrations
to organise workshops this month, which he will personally attend.
"I have asked the district officers
to speak frankly. I have instructed them not to preach or speak of philosophy.
Talk specific. Give me few concrete ideas. They can also speak against
me, [my] ministers and the political system. We will prepare a paper based
on the experience in the workshops."
Workshops for the Indian Police
Service and top forest officers have been also organised.
Asked about the absence of feel-good
factor among traders and businesspeople in the state, Modi said, "You don't
know Gujaratis. It is their tendency to say that business is bearish [dhandha
thanda che]. If you meet a farmer in October and ask him how the produce
is or how good was the season, he would paint a negative picture. But meet
him in March and he would show off a new car and would boast of his savings
from the last season. The same will be your experience with Gujarati businessmen.
Tell me, in Goa, how come Gujaratis are the most seen tourists? Gujarati
families like to travel even on weekends."
Modi is also studying the progress
made by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in information technology and biotechnology.
"My state is number one in e-governance.
We may have few companies less in software, but we are the biggest users
of IT. Andhra Pradesh had sent their top team to study how we earned additional
Rs180 crores last year from computerisation of all the check-posts. My
centre in Gandhinagar is monitoring all the check-posts and movements of
traffic. A Gujarati living in Chicago can access information regarding
the documents of his farmland in Gujarat without hassle."
He also claimed that the cable network
in Gujarat was the biggest in Asia.
Asked how he planned to usher in
the new year, he said, "I am not partying tonight. I don't drink, don't
smoke. I am a pure vegetarian."
A single man, Modi said, "In this
big house I do feel lonely at times."