Advani, Shourie hardsell Gujarat to investors

The ugliness of post-Godhra Gujarat was brushed under the carpet as the government tried to woo investors to the state. A state, battling al...

The ugliness of post-Godhra Gujarat was brushed under the carpet as the government tried to woo investors to the state. A state, battling allegations of a partisan administration and police, was today described as ‘‘a policy driven state which does not run on whims and fancies of anyone’’ by Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

This was all part of selling the state to overseas Gujarati community, an appeal to them to come forward and invest in projects, with increased private participation. The occasion was the inauguration of Global Investors’ Summit — the theme being Vibrant Gujarat — coinciding with Navratra festivities in the state.

Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, in fact, spelt out a message for hundreds of non-resident Gujaratis gathered at Tagore Memorial Hall: ‘‘Do not believe in, and do not be swayed by all that you have been reading about Gujarat in the past year or so.’’ He said it was ‘‘sustained propaganda’’ against the state and by extension, against the country.

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However, he admitted that a ‘‘sad and unfortunate episode took place but it was an aberration. Gujarat will learn the right lessons from it and will move ahead. The state will not let deliberate, motivated and continuing attempts to sully its image, tar its reputation and hurt its self-respect, to succeed.’’

And Chief Minister Modi got a thumping pat of approval on his back from not only Advani but also Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie. The Deputy PM congratulated the ‘‘energetic’’ state CM for many innovative ideas and his dynamism — two traits of Modi, which he said, had impressed him even while he was his colleague in building up the BJP.

Shourie said that the ‘‘well administered’’ Gujarat was an ideal destination for investment. Praising Modi for his efforts at privatisation, he suggested to the Deputy PM that the formula for allocation of funds to states should be changed. At present, he said, states which neglected reforms and did little for poverty alleviation were given higher allocations. Allocations to states by the Finance Ministry should based on performance.

He urged the non-resident Gujaratis — the most prosperous community overseas — to do for the state and the country what overseas Chinese had done for China.

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And as if on cue, just before Advani stood up to speak, a pigeon found its way on the dias evincing a quip from Shourie that the bird was symbolic of the peaceful environment in the state — ‘‘a perfect investment destination.’’

Chairman of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani, also present on the occasion, promised continued support to the state in building its economy.