Uttar Pradesh Investment: Mann wooed investors, they chose UP

Uttar Pradesh Investment: Leaders are evaluated based on their perspectives and vigilance on critical issues surrounding them. Be it social, political, or economic, the leaders’ approach to those issues becomes the basis for citizens’ perceptions. So, when the executive head of the state becomes irresponsible, it creates a sense of insecurity in the state. Right now, Punjab is witnessing such problems on the economic front.

Punjabi investors are looking up to Uttar Pradesh

More than 50 industrialists, mostly from Punjab, met Uttar Pradesh’s CM, Yogi Aditynath. They committed an investment of about 5 lakh crores in the UP. As per the news, the Atal Purvanchal Industrial Development Council organised a meeting of industrialists and CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, whereby the AVON Group proposed an investment of Rs. 500 crore, the Hero Group proposed Rs. 350 crore, and the Suryansh Group proposed Rs. 100 crore.

The delegation was led by T.R. Misra, who owns the boiler industry and is the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Atal Purvanchal Industrial Development Council. While talking to The Print he said, ” We have already committed an investment of Rs 2.26 lakh crore. By 31 March, 2023, we are committed to invest a total of Rs 5 lakh crore in U.P.” He also assured that he would himself invest Rs 30 crore in a boiler unit in Kanpur.

The investors informed that the prime reasons for this step are the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab and Bhagwant Mann’s lack of interest in industrial development. Most importantly, better industrial policy of Uttar Pradesh entices them to make such an investment.

Also read: Bhagwant Mann, a national joker and an international embarrassment

Mann’s ignorance leads to deindustrialization

This disinvestment happened three days after Bhagwant Mann travelled to Hyderabad to seek investments for Punjab. He met with many industrialists like the MD of Hartex Rubber, the CEO of Cancer Centers of America, the Executive Director of the Narayan Group of Educational Institutions, the Executive Director of GMR Group, the President of Wonderla, the Executive Director and CFO of Laurus Labs, and many others.

In a detailed discussion, he presented Punjab as the best investment destination with religious harmony, peace and security, a professional workforce, and developed infrastructure.

This is a serious lag for Punjab because the state is looking forward to organising the 5th Progressive Punjab Summit next year, in 2023. Obviously, the past record of the Mann government does not show any concrete steps taken to boost the industrial sector in the state. Neither has he focused on sustaining the on-ground industry. So, it clearly shows that industrialists are disappointed.

Therefore, they are planning to invest in other states, and UP is at the top of their list. Subsequently, this news of investment in Uttar Pradesh will also raise serious concerns for the investors Mann is dealing with in Hyderabad.

Also read: Bhagwant Mann bows before the Khalistanis

Difference between appeasement policy and developmental policy

Bhagwant Mann urged the industrialist for investment by showcasing Punjab’s status in the “Top Achiever” category in the Ease of Doing Business ranking of the Government of India. True! Punjab is the top achiever, but there is no guarantee that it will always be an achiever. The ranking of Punjab, he apprised, is evident from a PIB press release, which clearly shows that the ranking is based on an assessment of Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) for year 2020.

But as of now, the political turmoil and his victory in the Punjab Assembly elections have some economic implications that are still not in the public domain. So what he is capitalising on is actually the achievement of Captain Amrinder Singh, not him.

Also read: Bhagwant Mann is just a smokescreen, the real CM is Raghav Chadha

Aside from that, administration is a function of will power. An unbiased assessment of Yogi Adityanath shows him as a better administrator and a leader with a developmental mindset. His policy execution mindset can be analysed through a report, which calls for a projected investment of 7.3 lac crore in 5 years. And within a month, he got about 5 lakh crores of investment for Uttar Pradesh.

Bhagwant Mann, on the other hand, got a victory after farmer protests. He only tried to appease farmers and irregular government employees. He is not a bold leader who takes firm steps to benefit the citizens in the long term. I think it is the reason he needs to go out and ask for investment while Yogi Adityanath gets it while sitting in the Uttar Pradesh capital.