india

Updated: Jul 29, 2019 01:00 IST

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, is crucial to India’s target of becoming a $5 trillion economy.

“For those aspiring to become India’s prime minister, it is said that road to Delhi passes through Lucknow...We must know that the path for India to become a $5 trillion economy also passes through Lucknow,” said Shah at a function in Lucknow to launch over 250 investment projects worth ~62,000 crore.

He said there were voices of doubt when they first talked about the $5 trillion dollar economy dream. “But over the first five years [of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government], by taking measures such as the introduction of GST [Goods and Services Tax in 2017], increasing tax net etc, the government has laid a strong foundation towards making India a sturdy economy. Now, the prime minister wants India to be among the top three economies in the world in the next five year,” said Shah.

Shah said India was the world’s 11th biggest economy in 2004 when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee lost power. He added India was still at the 11th position when the BJP returned to power after 10 years in 2014. “During the five years of the Modi government, it [India] has jumped to the sixth position,” said Shah. He said when the BJP came to power in 2014, Modi said that earlier governments worked to run the governments but they will run the government to run the country. “Those who dream this way remain sleepless until their dreams are fulfilled,’’ said Shah.

Shah praised UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s “exemplary work” in attracting investments, building infrastructure and maintaining the law and order in the state over the last two years. “He [Adityanath] has changed the law and order for good in the state,” said Shah, who was on his first visit to UP after becoming the Union home minister in May. He said there were many raised eyebrows in 2017 when the BJP won the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and named Adityanath as the chief minister. “There were many phone calls and I was told that he [Adityanath] has no administrative experience. But Modi and I were convinced about his [Adityanath] abilities because of his sincerity and diligence,’’ he said. Shah added they knew that a person with these qualities will overcome anything. “Two years later, we have been proven right. Before facing [assembly] polls in 2022, Adityanath will make Uttar Pradesh number one state in tourism and infrastructure,” he said. Shah said Modi has triggered a healthy competition among states in improving their ease of doing business index to attract investments.