A factsheet issued by Sach Ka Safar Team explodes the much-touted claims and myths about development in Gujarat. The factsheet is as under:
• In 10 years 60,000 small scale industries have been closed down. (Director, Dept. of Economics and Statistics, Gujarat, 2011-12)
• Gujarat ranks 5th in F.D.I. (Director, Dept. of Economics and Statistics, Gujarat & RBI Report 2011-12)
• The state’s total debt was less than Rs 10,000 crore in 1995 when the BJP first came to power in Gujarat. Gujarat’s actual debt has mounted from Rs 45,301 crore in 2001-02 when Modi took over to Rs 1,38,978 crore on Dec. 30, 2012. The debt would mount to Rs 2,07,695 crore as per the state govt’s budget estimates by 2015-16. (Director, Dept. of Economics and Statistics, Gujarat & Gujarat Assembly question hours 2011-12 )
• Gujarat is at 8th position in agricultural growth. Gujarat has never achieved 10% growth in agriculture sector. As per Gujarat’s own statistics from year 2005-2006 to 2010-2011, growth in GSDP in Agriculture and Allied sector is 3.44% only. (Source: Gujarat Economics and Statistics Dept., and Times of India 5 March 2004.
• In Gujarat VAT on fertilizer is 5%; it is highest in India (Ministry of Agriculture, Gujarat, 2010-11)
• In Gujarat 26 districts have 225 blocks in which 57 are dark zone blocks. (Ministry of Agriculture, Gujarat and Annual Report Narmada Nigam, 2011-12)
• 455885 applications are pending for agricultural power connection as in March, 2011 (Ministry of Agriculture, Gujarat, 2011-12 )
• Close to half of the state’s children under the age of 5 (44.6 %) are known to be suffering from malnutrition. 70% are said to be anaemic while 40% are underweight. (Planning Commission Report-2012-13)
• In 8 districts and 3 Talukas of Gujarat, 2494 teachers posts are vacant. In 4 districts of Gujarat, approximately 978 schools are running with only 1 or 2 teachers. (GOG reply to RTI filed by Vinod Pandya, 2011-12)
• Health expenditure by Gujarat fell down from 4.25% in 1990-95 to 0.77% in 2005-2010. Gujarat occupied second position from bottom in terms of allocation of health in state budget. (Planning Commission Report-2012-13 and National Health Profile- CBHI)
• Gujarat ranks 20th (the bottom) among the 20 major states in the percentage of women with severe anaemia. (HDR 2011-12)
• Gujarat ranks 15th in malnourishment in children (HDR 2011-12)
• Gujarat ranks 16th in children’s anaemia (HDR 2011-12)
• Gujarat ranks 14th in rural IMR and 10th in urban IMR. (SRS Estimates, 2012)
• According to report on Global Hunger (2009), among the major 17 states in India, Gujarat ranks 13th with a Hunger Index of 23.3. The state has been declared as an “alarming state” along with MP, Jharkhand and Bihar (UNDP report on global hunger 2009-10)
• The data show that 67% of rural households in the State ranks 10th in the use of latrines. (National Sample Survey 2011-12)
• Data collected during Census 2011 reveals that around 29% of total households in Gujarat is receiving untreated drinking water.
• Approximately 1.75 crore people are not getting clean drinking water. (National Sample Survey)
• Gujarat had 32% poverty in 2001 and it reached 39.5% in 2011. Every 100 persons there are 40 persons poor. Statistics of the NSSO shows that the percentage of reduction of poverty between 2004 and 2010 was the lowest in Gujarat, at 8.6%. (Report by NASSO on Poverty 2012-13)
• Minority students should have got 52,260 scholarships in Gujarat, through the Central scholarships scheme for minorities to be shared in 75:25 ratio between the Centre and state to encourage students from poor families to complete schooling. Since the scheme started, Gujarat has let the funds lapse by not sending any proposal to the Centre for these scholarships. (Report by Ministry of Minority Affairs, GOI, 2011-12)
• 12% Muslims’ share of total bank accounts in Gujarat, but their loan amount outstanding is only 2.6%. This proves they don’t get loans. (Report by Ministry of Minority Affairs, GOI, 2011-12)
• UNDP United Nations has observed that poverty head count ratio for Muslims is highest in the states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Gujarat. (UNDP human development report to UN-2011-12)
• Of 1,958 riot cases reopened after the Supreme Court order, the Gujarat Police made arrests in only 117 cases – 5% of the total.
• Gujarat stands 11th in implementing Forest Rights Enactment, 2006. (An article on Gujarat is not tribal friendly? DNA Ahmedabad, Apr 3, 2012)
• On the women’s health indicators Gujarat is behind 19 states, on malnourishment of children it is worse than 15 states, on infant death it lags behind 12 states, in constructing dry latrine it lags behind 9 states and a state where 40 out of every 100 are below poverty line, can it be called developed? Crimes against women increased by 39%. Every three days a girl child is raped in Gujarat. About 60% women of Gujarat are abused by their husbands and 35% daughters are abused by their fathers.
• The Deputy Speaker’s post kept vacant by the Gujarat Government for a decade. (As per article 178 of the Constitution of India, it is compulsory)
• Assembly runs on an average for 30-32 days a year. No Lokayukta appointed for the last 10 years.
• Gujarat has organised 3716 employment festivals. As per Government of Gujarat’s own record 10 lakh educated youth are unemployed and a total of 30 lakh people are unemployed. (NASSO Report, GOI, 2011-12)
• NASSO data show that in Gujarat, growth in employment has dropped to almost zero in the past 12 years. A recent CAG review on accounts of the States is an eye-opener when it comes to Gujarat, the latter’s high claims notwithstanding. Allegedly there are Rs 16,706.99 crore worth of financial and land allotment irregularities with resultant negative impact on delivery on economic and development fronts (CAG Report 2011-12)
• Spreading lies and rumours and using control over media are special tools of the fascists. They use all democratic means to grab the power and once in power they first destroy all democratic structures including the Constitution. First they destroy traces of democracy within their party and then they annihilate other political formations. For the past Safeguard Indian Democracy and Constitution one year the fascists are busy silencing voices of descent among their own rank and file.
• If it is as wealthy, then why expenditure on health in the state has reduced from 4.25% to only 0.77%?
• If a miraculous development has taken place in Gujarat then why have 60,000 factories closed down during the last 10 years? In 10 years the state’s debt has increased from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs one lakh and 38 thousand crore. If development has taken place, why are 4 lakh and 55 thousand applications for electricity connections are still pending? Why more than 50% of children and women are malnourished?
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