Author: Report
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: June 4, 2003
URL: http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/jun/04modi.htm
More than a year after communal
violence hit Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that
the incidents had had no effect on economic growth of the state.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting
to finalise the state annual plan for 2003-04, Modi said that Gujarat had
registered a growth of over 9 per cent last year and expressed hope that
growth would touch 10.2 per cent in the Tenth Five-Year Plan period.
Modi dismissed reports about economic
activity being adversely affected in the backdrop of riots and said such
'baseless' information was being spread by rumour-mongers.
The Gujarat chief minister said
that several special economic zones, including one at Kandla, had been
activated, when asked about the steps being taken to promote development
in the state. He also asked the central government to depute a team of
experts to assess the activity in the SEZs.
Gujarat will soon see a forward
movement on the remaining zones identified for development, he claimed.
Expressing satisfaction over the
Rs 7,860 crore (Rs 78.60 billion) plan approved for the next fiscal, Modi
said the Planning Commission had approved several of its schemes including
one to provide electricity round the clock to the rural areas.
On the transport front, Modi said
Gujarat would soon be networked with compressed natural gas stations which
would provide fuel for public transport.
