Projects commissioned during Vibrant Gujarat summits dip by 70%

The number of largescale industrial projects commissioned during the five Vibrant Gujarat summits have fallen by 70 per cent compared to 2003, when the state-sponsored summit first kicked off. This has also adversely affected the employment generated by these large units.

As the sixth edition of the summit approaches, the number of large projects commissioned in 2012 (as on October) is just 22, state the latest figures on industrial growth sourced by The Indian Express from the Gujarat industries department.

Even if the state government data of commissioned largescale projects in 2011 is considered (75 projects), the numbers are barely envious, when compared to the commissioned projects in summit years of 2003 and 2005 or even those years before the launch of Vibrant Gujarat.

In 2003, 258 projects worth Rs 9,400 crore were commissioned, while in 2005, a phenomenal 422 projects worth Rs 16,500 crore were completed and had begun commercial production, shows the government data for large industrial projects (industrial units having investment exceeding Rs 10 crore in plant and machinery).

Since 2005, there has been a steady decline in the number of projects commissioned in Gujarat. In fact, even in 2007, when economic sentiments were at its peak, only 131 projects were commissioned in Gujarat during an entire year.

If the government data on the number of largscale projects commissioned in the last 20 years is taken into consideration, then the highest number of projects that went on-stream has been in 1995 (518 projects) when Keshubhai Patel first took charge of the state as the chief minister. These projects worth about Rs 12,500 crore (providing employment to over 1.3 lakh people) is about five times the number of commissioned projects during 2011.

The poor record in the commissioning of these large projects have also taken a hit on employment. If about 35,000 people were employed in the commissioned large industrial projects in 2003, the numbers rose to 90,000 in 2005. However, in 2011, large units could employ only 12,100 people, while in 2012 (till October), the numbers dipped to 3,100 people.

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