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| At 11/20, J&K story static for worst | | Survey says investors no more interested, law & order deteriorating | | ET Special
Hammad Saalif
Jammu | Sept 16
Heavily funded with central grants and aids, for years India’s northern most state struggled with growth (or no growth) under the shadow of Punjab –one of country’s economically most robust states –but now there is a newly emerging challenge pushing Jammu and Kashmir to the wall. The neighboring and similarly hilly state of Himachal Pradesh has emerged as number one state of the country in almost all parameters which determine the growth story and quality of life.
While there is no remarkable achievement on any parameter of growth, Jammu and Kashmir appears to have suffered a massive damage to its projected investment friendly environment. Among 20 big states in country Jammu and Kashmir ranks at 16 in attracting investors. What is more worrying is the fact that this ranking has been on a constant decline for last four years.
At least two Chief Ministers –Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his successor Ghulam Nabi Azad –always claimed that they mobilized huge investment for the state. However, a credible survey points to the contrary. The survey says that Jammu and Kashmir ranked at number nine in terms of its investment friendly environment in 2004 which declined to number 10 in 2005, number 12 in 2006, number 14 in 2007 and number 16 in 2008. This clearly points out that India’s industry barons are least interested in investing in Jammu and Kashmir.
This had already been pointed by Prime Minister’s Task Force on Jammu and Kashmir’s Economic Reconstruction which submitted its report in December 2006. The Task Force headed by former Reserve Bank of India Governor R Rangarajan had said that besides unreliable security environment, the cumbersome land acquiring process and complex taxation regime keeps the investors away from Jammu and Kashmir.
Himachal Pradesh, though a hilly state almost like Jammu and Kashmir, has emerged as number one state in the country in terms of attracting investment. This first rank in attracting investment had earlier been held by Gujarat consecutively for last three years.
The latest “State of the States Survey” conducted by country’s leading current affairs magazine has put Jammu and Kashmir at eleventh rank among the 20 big states of the country. Punjab still maintains its Numero Uno position in the list while Tamil Nadu has gone up to number two and Himachal Pradesh is at number three. As usual Bihar is at the last rank.
India Today’s annual “State of the States” survey, as it is well known, is considered not less than the reports of Planning Commission. The survey conducted by leading Economists Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari examines three categories –Big States, Small States and Union Territories. There are 20 States in the category of Bog States and Jammu and Kashmir comes at eleventh rank. Jammu and Kashmir is maintaining this eleventh rank, well below halfway, consecutively for last two years though its performance has declined in many crucial sectors of economic growth and general environment. In the same survey, J&K ranked at tenth place in 2005 and 2006 which declined to eleven in 2007.
Agriculture is regarded as backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy but there is no remarkable growth in this sector. For straight second year, the state is at 16th rank among 20 states. Position was slightly better between 2004 and 2006 when state ranked at number 15. This year’s survey has put Madhya Pradesh at number one and Punjab at number two. The worst performing state in Agriculture sector is Gujarat.
The primary health sector, however, appears to be only hope for image of Jammu and Kashmir. The state has ranked at number four among 20 states while Tamil Nadu is the best and Bihar still remains the worst. It may be mentioned here that Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed fourth rank in primary health sector in 2004 but declined to number but it declined to number seven in 2006 and 2007.
Remarkable improvement has also been noticed in primary education where Jammu and Kashmir once stood at number seven in 2004 and declined to eight in 2005, number 10 in 2006 and number eight in 2007. This year again state has been ranked at number eight.
There is also a decline for the worst in law and order sector. In this sector, the state has registered a decline of one rank from 15 to 16. Between 2004 and 2004, J&K ranked continuously at number 17 when it improved to 15 in 2007. This year there is a decline by one point. |
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