Uttar Pradesh govt needs to provide infrastructure beyond Noida: Investors

The biggest challenge for the Chief Minister is to deliver on the MoUs signed during the recent investors' summit

At the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit, all from President Ram Nath Kovind to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union cabinet ministers and industry captains, including Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for “improved” law and order situation in the first 11 months of his rule. They also lauded his commitment to personally monitor the execution of all 1,045 investment proposals worth Rs 4.28 trillion.

This was perhaps the first time when a prime minister had personally led 18 Cabinet ministers, including those from allies, to a state investors’ summit. The message was clear to investors that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre and the state would not leave any stone unturned to execute the projects. 

“Not red tape but red carpet will welcome investors,” Modi told investors on the first day of the event on February 21. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured the investors on the concluding day, saying: “Investors like to invest in a state that is corruption-free and has good law and order. In the past 11 months, the Adityanath government has proved its capability in this.” 

The investor summit also served the purpose of sending a message down rank and file of the BJP in the state that Adityanath enjoys the confidence of both Modi and party president Amit Shah despite murmurs of alleged extra-judicial killings in the state. 

Political analysts said it suits the BJP top brass to throw their weight behind Adityanath, who is being seen as an alternative to Modi in the future. 

“Yogi Adityanath is the second most popular leader in Uttar Pradesh after Modi. The BJP in Uttar Pradesh needs him to repeat the success of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the upcoming general election, especially when the party is facing an anti-incumbency elsewhere,” says a BJP leader, who claims to be close to Adityanath.  
 

“Yogi Adityanath is also seeing this an opportunity to cement his position in the party. He has many competitors in the party, including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan,” the leader said. The party leadership is keeping a close eye on the Adityanath government, with many senior officers from the Modi government returning to Uttar Pradesh, which is not only the most populated state but also sends the most lawmakers (80) to Parliament.

The biggest challenge for the Chief Minister is to deliver on the memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed during the summit. Uttar Pradesh performance has not been impressive regarding the implementation of proposals signed during the previous Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and Mayawati-led Bhaujan Samaj Party governments.  

Investors were still jittery about investing in the state. “Some concerns, such as labour unions in Uttar Pradesh, need urgent attention. The state government needs to provide infrastructure beyond Noida and Greater Noida. Investors are currently interested in investing in these two areas only,” says a businessman, who had signed an MoU with the state government.