Govt will achieve 10% growth target despite obstacles: Amit Shah

BJP president says Centre would reach out to any state in their developmental efforts

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Bharatiya Janata Party's national president Amit Shah today said that the central government's efforts to register a 10 per cent GDP growth rate would not be frustrated by the current impasse in Parliament.

"We will achieve 10 per cent growth rate by 2017 even with obstacles. We know that it's a multi-party democracy and have set targets keeping this in mind," Shah said at an interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Having said that Shah however appealed to the Congress to utilise the final day of the monsoon session to pass the GST Bill. "The Congress brought it and it is now stalling it on political grounds. We can only appeal," he said.

"When we inherited the government, growth rate was 4.4 per cent, now it is 5.7 per cent. Taking the growth rate to 5.7 per cent given the circumstances is also a major achievement," Shah said.

 

Working with hindrances seems to be BJP's mantra, whether at a national level or state. "Irrespective of party politics, we will help state governments. We want to strengthen the federal structure," Shah said, citing examples like state empowerment under NITI Aayog and auction proceeds from coal mines that will be going to the states.

The Centre has also allocated Rs 8,000 crore for uninterrupted power supply in 19 districts of West Bengal on a pilot basis and Rs 3,000 crore for the smart city project, Shah pointed out.

While Shah reiterated that the Centre would be more than willing to lend a helping hand to any state in its developmental efforts, he didn't mince words in pulling up the Trinamool Congress for lack of industrial development in West Bengal.

"The environment in West Bengal is not conducive for development. For thirty-four years, Communists ruled and then Paribartan but it has deeply disappointed. The atmosphere for development has not been created. People have invested more in Saradha chit funds, everyday there is a bomb blast. This kind of an environment is not proper for development," Shah said.