Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday invited industry to invest in his state, saying that anti-social elements won't be any trouble as they now fear his government's "bulldozer action."
Speaking on investment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh at a program organized by the MP government and Confederation of Indian Industry here, he also said his state has ample cheap land available for the industry compared to Pune and Mumbai.
"When I became the CM (for the first time), there were dacoits in the Chambal region, and movies used to be made on them in Mumbai. But I snatched jobs of Mumbaiwallas as the dacoits were either eliminated or surrendered or they are languishing in jails," he said.
Maoism too was eliminated from the state and the network of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was destroyed, Chouhan said.
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"There is no goondagardi (hooliganism) now. If anyone indulges in goondagardi or dabangai (bullying), Mama's bulldozer runs directly. So there is no fear that someone will trouble you (businesses)," he assured.
Chouhan is fondly called 'Mama' by his supporters.
His government had faced criticism over `bulldozer action' or demolition drives against alleged rioters the following violence during Ram Navami processions in April. The government was accused of bypassing the due process of law while demolishing the alleged unauthorized structures of the accused.
Speaking at the program, Chouhan further said his government freed 21,000 acres of land from the clutches of encroachers and houses are being constructed for the poor on this land now.
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"MP has the most conducive atmosphere for businesses," he said while urging the industry to invest in the state.
"The state has ample cheap land for businesses, and also skilled manpower. It also offers affordable electricity to the industry," he added.
After becoming CM for the fourth time (in March 2020), the first thing his government did was to bring in labor reforms, he said.
"Our policies are investor-friendly. I invite you to MP because I am there. Every Monday, I make time to meet investors," he said.
Madhya Pradesh has around 1.22 lakh acres of land reserved for businesses and industry, Chouhan said.
"We have ample cheap land compared to Pune and Mumbai, and investors can even check the availability of land on the Internet and then pay a visit to see it for themselves," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call to make India a USD 5 trillion economy, and to complement that, "we have set ourselves a target of making MP a USD 550 billion economies by 2026," Chouhan added.
When asked if he was here to lure investors away from Maharashtra, especially in the wake of the Foxconn-Vedanta semiconductor project going to Gujarat, he said he would also like to invite the Maharashtra chief minister to MP.
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"He should come and invite industrialists from MP to Maharashtra. Different kind of environment is needed for a different kind of industry. For some industries, Pune will be suitable, for some, Bhopal will be right and for some Indore will fit the bill," Chouhan said.
He supported healthy competition among the states, he added.
(Inputs from PTI)
