Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government at the Centre were passing through a phase of complacence; and a sense of hopelessness was creeping in across various spectrums. The Cabinet approval to the setting up of 12 new industrial cities across about 10 states, with a promise to offer 10 lakh jobs, is a good step forward. Its success depends on the government’s commitment to the cause of industrial growth and job creation – two areas that Modi did not give due attention to in his 10 long years. The bureaucracy that oversees such initiatives has a knack to scuttle projects through red tape, corruption and creating a host of other hurdles. This is the reason why India, with its huge human resource potential of skilled, educated and normal manpower, keeps depending on China for much of its domestic and industry-related requirements. Lack of effective leadership has been the nation’s main hurdle in its ambition to emerge as an economic super power.
Obviously, the 2024 Parliament poll results drilled some sense into the Prime Minister’s head. As the leader of the nation, he was found wanting in his responses to the problems in multiple fields. Erecting highways, building ports or airports etc., form only a small part of a government’s responsibilities. Some 30 other vital departments have too little to boast about in terms of performance in Modi’s two terms. The railways are a case in point. Despite the big talk that Modi made when he started in 2014, very little has materialised other than the boasts about “increasing” the track lengths. The Vande Bharat is no great shakes in terms of its speed and much else. It is an improvement on an ageing system left behind by the British Raj. Cases in Indian courts drag for decades. Delayed justice is denial of justice. Ordinary people cannot run with cases for 20 and more years. These were times for reforms. In the Agriculture sector, no major improvements came about despite the large manpower at hand. There too, Modi took three steps back on reforms. Making use of India’s huge manpower potential of 1.40 billion through industrial and agricultural hyper activity, leading to matching growth in exports, is the principal way for India to grow big. Modi dragged on these fronts too.
In fact, rather than limiting things to 10 states, each state should have been granted a new industrial city facility. The entire North-East is not in the picture. This region is craving for development. Modi’s new associate Chandrababu Naidu has been granted two industrial cities. Bihar too got one. Kerala that has labour problems and scarcity of manpower has been granted one city. Yet, finally, this is a time of hope for a better India under Modi equivalent to an oasis in a desert.
