lucknow

Updated: Jul 29, 2019 05:42 IST

Uttar Pradesh is crucial to India becoming a $5 trillion economy, said Union Home minister Amit Shah in Lucknow on Sunday.

Here to inaugurate the second ground-breaking ceremony for investments in Uttar Pradesh, Shah launched over 250 investment projects worth ₹62,000 crore (Rs 6,20,000 million) at the event.

This was Shah’s first visit to Lucknow after taking over as the Union Home minister.

“For those aspiring to become India’s prime minister, it is said that road to Delhi passes through Lucknow. Atal became PM from Lucknow and Modi from Varanasi. We must know that the path for India to become a $5 trillion economy also passes through Lucknow,” said Shah while talking about UP’s potential.

“When the BJP came to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that earlier governments worked to run the governments but we will run the government to run the country,” said Shah.

“Those who dream this way remain sleepless till the dream is fulfilled. When we first talked of a $5 trillion dollar economy dream, there were voices of doubt. But in the first five years by taking measures such as GST, increasing tax net, etc, the government has laid a strong foundation towards making India a sturdy economy. Now, the PM wants India to be among top three economies in the world in next five year,” said Shah.

Addressing investors and potential investors, Shah said the country was world’s eleventh biggest economy in 2004 when the BJP government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee lost power and when the BJP came back to power after a ten-year gap, India was still at the eleventh position.

“But in five years of the Modi government, it has jumped to the sixth position,” said Shah.

He praised the Yogi Adityanath government for the ‘exemplary work’ done in the field of investments and infrastructure in two years.

He also praised the CM for maintain the law and order in the state. “He (Yogi) has changed the law and order for good in the state.”

“In 2017 when BJP won the UP elections and we named Yogi the CM, many people raised an eyebrow. There were many phone calls telling me that Yogi has no administrative experience. But, Modi and I were convinced of his abilities because of his sincerity and diligence. We knew that a person with these qualities will overcome anything and two years after, we are proven right. Before facing polls in 2022 again, Yogi will make UP number one state in tourism and infrastructure,” Shah said.

Shah said the PM had triggered a healthy competition among states in improving their ‘ease of doing business’ index to attract investments.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion Yogi Adityanath said: “UP will play a vital role in realising PM Modi’s one trillion dollar economy dream for India. It was he who had inaugurated the investors’ summit in 2018 and Shah as BJP national president had unveiled the 2017 UP Assembly polls’ vision document for UP. What could have been a better way for him to step in UP after becoming the Home minister and launching ₹62,000 crore projects here.”

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, Pepsico India Holdings CEO & president Ahmed El Sheikh, Samsung India’s president and CEO HC Hong, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, Lulu Group chairman Yusuff Ali M.A, Torrent group chairman Sudhir Mehta, Medanta & Healthcare chairman, Dr Naresh Trehan, president Ficci, Sandip Somany were the industry captains who attended the event.

SOME QUOTES

It is my dream to build a world class defence manufacturing unit in the defence corridor of UP. India’s growth and transformation is linked to UP’s growth and transformation

Gautam Adani, chairman, Adani group

We will execute a Rs 514 crore greenfield snacks manufacturing plant in UP over the next three years

Ahmed El Sheikh, president and CEO, Pepsico

My country Korea has a historical relationship with UP. Over the years we have become big partners of UP and infrastrucure here has become world class

HC Hong, CEO, Samsung India

I have studied in Lucknow at King George’s Medical College. This is my educational birthplace. We will open 1000-bed modern hospital in October that will not only provide quality healthcare but also give employment to 13,000 people. Today we will lay foundation stone from here for our 700-bed hospital in Noida. Then we will expand to Gorakhpur and Varanasi

Dr Naresh Trehan, chairman, Medanta