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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Madhya Pradesh has taken off, thanks to the agriculture story: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
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Madhya Pradesh has taken off, thanks to the agriculture story: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Agriculture growth has helped take off because it has taken prosperity to rural parts and increased farmers' purchasing power, says Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Photo: Hindustan TimesPremium
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Photo: Hindustan Times

Indore: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said his state’s stupendous performance in the farm sector has laid the foundation for future growth.

“I think we have taken off, and it is our agriculture growth rate which has got us here," Chouhan said in an interview on the sidelines of the fifth Global Investors’ Summit (GIS) at Indore. Edited excerpts:

The impressive farm growth rate Madhya Pradesh has recorded is one of the most talked about at the summit. Is this growth sustainable?

We have been able to maintain an average 14.2% agriculture GDP (gross domestic product) growth in the past four years. I think we will be able to maintain this because we have addressed some of the basic issues affecting agriculture growth. Irrigation, for instance. In 13 years of BJP rule, we have achieved more than a fivefold increase in cultivable land under irrigation. We are increasing irrigation coverage every year. Now, this is fundamental value addition to the farm sector and helps us maintain the growth rate. We have also invested in building warehouses and value chain for farmers.

Some CEOs and representatives from partnering countries said Madhya Pradesh’s sequencing of growth priorities starting with agriculture is the way to go. Can the model be replicated?

Each state has its own issues and priorities are determined by those issues. In Madhya Pradesh, we could not have ignored agriculture because this is an agriculture-driven state. I would not recommend Madhya Pradesh model to each state but, yes, where there is irrigation backlog, our example should guide others.

You have talked about a 120,000 acres industrial land bank in the state. Is this land bank clear of all agriculture claims or will there be any conflict when land is actually being acquired?

There won’t be any conflict because these are identified as government-owned and non-agriculture land parcels. A large quantity of it is fallow land. We have also developed 40,000 acres of this land and put it up for online allotment. There is no conflict between agriculture and industry. On the contrary, they are complementary.

There are limits to how much a state can grow only on the basis of agriculture. What next for the state?

We are aware of that and that awareness is one of the reasons we have organized GIS every two years. Agriculture growth has helped us take off because it has taken prosperity to rural parts and increased farmers’ purchasing power. But now is the time for a quantum leap. That is why we are inviting global industry to invest here. We have created infrastructure, business-friendly policies, ecosystem, and mindset for future growth. We are ready for the world to come and invest. And I am happy Madhya Pradesh farmer is well taken care of.

How much does political stability help?

It helps in building confidence among investors that policies will not be changed overnight after a new political dispensation takes over. It maintains a kind of dynamism and direction in policy implementation and identification of priorities. GIS has also benefited from the ease of doing business agenda of the Modi government.

You organized five GIS events since 2007. Has it helped?

Certainly it has. Global interest in Madhya Pradesh has grown and I would give you two clear examples of this growing interest. As many as 42 countries are participating in this edition and five of these countries are our partners. I have visited several countries in the past two years and experienced keenness among investors to come here. Most importantly, GIS has been able to create the brand of Madhya Pradesh. It has created a credible platform where investors are dealing with a credible and transparent government where there is business-friendly ecosystem. The intention was to tell the world about Madhya Pradesh and we have achieved much more than that.

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Published: 23 Oct 2016, 11:32 PM IST
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