CM Ashok Chavan on his vision for the once top state

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Ten months ago, the audacious terror attacks on Mumbai put the Maharashtra government on notice. Reacting to the public outrage and anger Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil were asked to step down. The low-profile and urbane Ashok Chavan was picked as the new face of the government.

 

As Maharashtra goes to the polls on October 13, the question is will the incumbent Congress-led democratic government, pull off a third consecutive term in office. More critically, what does it have to offer by way of a vision for this once preeminent state? Our guest, The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, should have some answers.
Here are excerpts of CNBC-TV18's exclusive interview with Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. Also watch the accompanying video. 

Q: We are yet to see the manifesto at the time of recording this, of the Democratic Front government. What is it that you feel should be the compelling reason that the people of Maharashtra should vote your government back? 

A: In the past five years' performance, I feel that we have done our level best to see that the Maharashtra government delivers what we had promised to the people. We have taken several initiatives on infrastructure, throughout Maharashtra. Things have gone a long way. The four-laning of the highways, the infrastructural development in cities like Mumbai, has been the focus, helped by the Government of India and the state government for industrial development. 

Q: So, you are saying it is the development plank is what should attract people back to this government? 

A: The development of Maharashtra, which is a prime state in the country, and making it globally competitive, is what the vision for Maharashtra has been. Our government has the vision. We have done that, and we are yet to do a lot in the coming future. So, what we have achieved is before the people. What we want to do is continue the same pace of development for the next five years. 

Q: A lot has been done. Yet when you refer to India today's recent state of state surveys, it is sad for somebody who lives in Maharashtra to see that the state is at number 8 when it comes to a whole host of parameters and states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana even, have superceded Maharashtra when it comes to primary health, to education, to infrastructure, to investment climate, and to law and order. Why do you think this is the case? 

A: I don't fully agree with whatever surveys have been shown by some magazines. I think industry-wise we have done our level best. If you compare the report of the Reserve Bank of India, which has been recently published, Maharashtra still stands as the number 1 state as far as the investment destination is concerned, whether it be foreign direct investment coming into this country, whether it be the local investments that industrialists have made in this country, Maharashtra gains the maximum out of it. Employment generation results that have been shown, Maharashtra has seen the maximum number of employments that came from this industrial development. So, industry-wise we have done our best. Infrastructure-wise, as I told you, there are several projects. 

Q: So, you don't accept the findings of this survey? 

A: I don't think it is 100% true. There is a SWOT analysis that has to be done. There are some weaknesses that we have to undertake. We have tackled the farmers' issues to some extent. It is a challenge that the state government has accepted. 

Q: How would you react to the statement that Maharashtra being a pre-eminent destination for investment is perhaps more because of Maharashtra's legacy status than contemporary governance? 

A: No, I wouldn't agree with that. Why do people come to Maharashtra? There are policies. People are attracted to Maharashtra because of the logistics, the advantages that Mumbai has over the rest of the country, the policies made by the government for attracting industries to the backward areas of Maharashtra and there are several one-window clearances that we have done for the mega projects. I think it is the proactive steps taken by the government, initiatives of the government and the response by the industry. I won't say it is only because of the government but it is also the response from the industrialists. Nobody would like to invest in the state of Maharashtra unless there is potential. 

Q: There is a sense that coalition politics especially in the past five years in the Democratic Front government has resulted in non-cooperation between NCP and Congress ministers. How do you react to this charge, when work or administration gets stuck? 

A: It is not non-cooperation. The portfolio is shared between the two parties. Of course the Chief Minister has the access to all the portfolios and that is not the issue, but decision making is done at the various ministerial level. If the portfolio is directly with the Chief Minister then things are different.

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