“What we promise, we deliver on time”
Vijay Rupani, an entrepreneur-turned-politician, took over as Gujarat’s 16th chief minister in August 2016. At the time, the state was in the midst of the Patel reservation agitation. Led by 23-yearold Hardik Patel, the Patel community, among the BJP’s most ardent supporters, was demanding reservation under the OBC quota. Their aggressive stand had led to the ouster of Anandiben Patel from the CM’s post, which was then filled by the soft-spoken, low-key Rupani, who had served as chairman of Gujarat Tourism in Modi’s state cabinet. Five years on, the 64-year-old has proven himself to be an able administrator. And after a landslide victory in the February 28 local body elections, Rupani is on firmer ground. In an exclusive interview with Kiran D. Tare, he talks about the achievements of his government. Excerpts:
Q. How do you look at the BJP’s victory in the panchayat polls?
A. It has been a historic win. Now, the BJP is governing 90 per cent of Gujarat. We have been in power in the Rajkot Municipal
Corporation since 1975 and in other corporations—Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar—for the past 35 years. There has been no anti-incumbency. The trust people have shown in us is unique.
Q. Who deserves credit for this victory?
A. It is a result of the hard work Modiji put in for 13 years as Gujarat CM. He did the politics of development, of honesty. That has become a base for politics now. Gujarat has become a model of development. We carried forward his legacy. The people trusted us. Honesty and pro-people governance have been our motto and it has paid off.
Q. Tell us about the ‘propeople’ governance model? A. We have provided security to every section of the society—from farmers and students to widows. Thanks to a digital thrust, land issues are being sorted out online. We have taken a strong stand against corruption. The moment I realised highway checkposts had become grounds for corruption, I abolished them and started collecting tax online.
Q. How did you defuse the Patel reservation agitation?
A. Those agitating for reservation got exposed as their political agenda became clear. But, most importantly, we found a solution to their basic demand for reservation. We gave 10 per cent reservation to the upper caste, introduced scholarship schemes for the students and reduced education fees.
Q. You talk about transparency, decisiveness, sensitive and progressive administration. Can you give some examples?
A. The launch of the CM dashboard has brought in a lot of transparency in the administration process. The monitoring system has increased attendance in schools and also enhanced the quality of education students are receiving.
At the panchayat level, corruption was stemming from the fact that panchayats had the power to convert any land into non-agriculture land. I withdrew this power instantly.
As far as widows are concerned, under the government scheme, they were getting a monthly pension of Rs 1,200, but only till their sons would reach adulthood. We amended that to ensure that they receive this pension for life. This has increased the number of beneficiaries from 150,000 to 800,000, burdening the state exchequer, but our goal was to help widows, so we decided to go ahead with it.
Q. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has been very active since 2018. How is your government dealing with the cases of corruption being exposed? A. I have given a free hand to the ACB. There is no political interference in its functioning at all. Our intention is very clear—we want to clean the system, hence there is action.
Q. Despite the pandemic, you managed to register 10 per cent economic growth last year. How?
A. We have exempted MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) entrepreneurs from acquiring government clearances for three years. They can start their businesses without any government permissions and acquire them only after three years. This has encouraged them. We
gave incentives worth Rs 14,000 crore to industry during the pandemic. We are a policy-driven state. We promise things that are part of the policy, and whatever we promise we deliver on time. We opened the lockdown in a systematic manner without affecting our industrial production. As a result, Gujarat’s unemployment rate, at 3.5 per cent, is the lowest among all big states.
Q. What new ideas are you introducing in the industry sector?
A. Our focus is on environment protection along with developing infrastructure. Solar energy is crucial for containing climate change. We have decided that no new thermal plant will be installed in the state. Gujarat has been a leader in setting up solar units and accounts for almost 60 per cent of the country’s solar rooftops. We are encouraging people to produce solar energy and sell it. Soon, we will also introduce electric vehicles.
Q. Coming back to politics, how many seats are you hoping to win in the assembly poll next year?
A. I won’t give any number, but I can say that we will win more than we did in the previous election. We will create a new record. Both the government and the party are ready to take that leap.
Q. Why is the Modi name still so integral to winning an election? A. Modiji is our leader. Why shouldn’t we use his name? We will keep seeking votes in his name.