Madhya Pradesh CM's current focus is state, not nation

Dinesh Narayanan/Forbes India

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tells Forbes India that he is focussed on his state's economic development for now.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Age: 53
Designation: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
Education: MA in Philosophy, Barkatullah University, Bhopal
Career: Lok Sabha member from 1990 to 2005; held several top posts in BJP, including that of state president and national secretary
Interests: Spiritual literature, music, movies, kabaddi, cricket and volleyball

Q. At the global investors’ meet, you signed MoUs that could entail a capital investment of Rs 4.31 lakh crore. How much of it will you be able to convert on ground?

Projects worth about Rs 3 lakh crore promised at the last two investment summits have already been implemented or are close to completion. However, projects worth about Rs 1.25 lakh crore failed to materialise. We’ve been very cautious this year and looked at each project carefully, except for a few that were signed at the last minute. Hence, we expect a high rate of conversion.

Q. What is it that you’re doing differently to make your conversion rate so high; higher than that of even Gujarat?

Gujarat is Gujarat; it’s a developed state. We cannot compare it with Madhya Pradesh. NRIs alone invest so much there. MP is just trying to flex its muscles a bit now. But I don’t compare myself with anyone. I’m not a political person. I’m an ordinary man. I try to do the best work in my state.

Q. You’ve spoken about investments in the power sector. Anil Ambani mentioned a possible investment of Rs 50,000 crore in MP. Didn’t he make the same promise five years ago?

He’d earlier said he would invest Rs 20,000 crore. That’s done: It’s on the ground and production will start soon. Work on his cement plant is also progressing quickly. Last time he’d said he would put up a 4,000 MW power plant at an investment of Rs 20,000 crore. That is the Chitrangi project and it’s stuck because of various reasons. I don’t want to go into the details; the matter is in court. Now he has promised to set up another power plant and a cement plant at an investment of Rs 20,000 crore. So far, his group has already invested Rs 28,000 crore in the state.

Q. How will you set up a knowledge city in Chambal where the Zee Group wants to invest? The region is still quite inhospitable.

We have about 30 lakh hectares of available land in Chambal. What will you achieve if you don’t dream? I was told that the Narmada’s waters cannot go into the Shipra River. It is impossible. It will take a lot of money. I said I’ll take it and I am taking it. The tenders are done. It didn’t happen for 40 years but will happen in the next five because I dreamt of it.

Today I dream that I’ll create a knowledge city [in Chambal] because it is near Delhi. There is a fine four-lane highway and available land. Tomorrow when nobody will get land anywhere else, they will have to come here. Some things are achieved with your will. When you decide that it has to be done, a way is found.

Q. Which title do you prefer – kisaan ka beta or CEO of MP?

In a democracy, the elected chief minister is always there to serve the people. If I am humble, the reason for that is I consider myself a public servant.

Click here to read more

More Forbes India Story
Six Global Hotspots Which Can be Your Home
Change.Org: A Startup Making Social Campaigns Easy
World Bank Measures the Ease of Doing Business Across the Globe