Modi’s “100-city Development Plan” to benefit major Tier-II cities
In light of Prime Minister, Mr.Narendra Modi’s election manifesto regarding his promise to develop 100 ‘Smart cities’ in India, there is a sense of anticipation as to which cities he would focus on with regards to overall development. However, it is generally felt that most of the Tier-II cities with high population and good investment potential would get the nod as far as shortlisting of the 100 cities is concerned.
The ‘100-city development program‘ was projected to woo urban masses, particularly young voters, dreaming of a new and vibrant India. In this pursuit, Modi has succeeded in garnering the votes of a large number of urban as well as young first-time voters. Besides this, he has also promised to set up IIMs, IITs and AIIMSs in every state in an effort to project India as a global brand to the world.
Extension of ‘Gujarat model’ of development
Considering that Modi has been known as a man who deals with large numbers as far as his ‘Gujarat model of development’ is concerned, it is felt that the 100-city program will be an extension of that on a national level. During his three terms as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi has been able to sway the urban population of Gujarat with his large scale developmental policies that he implemented. Besides the construction and development of new urban spaces, he has also been successful in creating a large number of jobs for the youth of the state. Infrastructure development was given a fillip during the Modi regime in Gujarat by the development of roads and highways. Besides, he has encouraged utilising alternative sources of energy like solar and wind energy in power generation.
The economy of Gujarat has also progressed by leaps and bounds under Modi’s rule, due to the emphasis given to agricultural and industrial production. Moreover, tourism has also been given significant importance under Modi with no less that Amitabh Bachchan being the brand ambassador of Gujarat tourism. Currently Gujarat ranks second in terms of gas-based thermal power generation as well as nuclear power generation. It scored the highest among all Indian states in terms of social capital as per the Global Prosperity Index, 2012. Globally it was ranked 15th among 142 nations, with it being ranked ahead of many developed nations
Tier-II cities to benefit:
Based on the population, investment potential, infrastructure development and growth capability, some of the major Tier-II cities in India that could feature in Modi’s ‘100-City development plan’ list are Jaipur, Lucknow, Kochi, Kanpur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nagpur, Pune, Vijayawada, Madurai and Coimbatore, all of which have a population between 20-50 lakh as per the 2011 census. Some of the other major cities that could be included in this list are Srinagar, Ludiana, Amritsar, Jodhpur, Kota, Meerut, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Ranchi, Gwalior, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rajkot and Vadodara, all of which have a population of between 10 and 20 lakh.
Implementing the plan:
Since it’s still relatively early days for the Modi government, it is yet to be seen if Modi will deliver on this promise. However, there is immense hope among the people in general that he will do his best in achieving this goal. This is mainly due to the goodwill that he has gained nationwide by transforming Gujarat into one of the fastest developing states in India. However, implementing the plan will require a concerted effort by the Urban Development Ministry in collaboration with all the concerned departments.
Challenges:
Considering the enormity of the job at hand, it would not be a ‘walk in the park’ for Modi and his government as fas as fulfilling this promise is concerned. There could be many challenges that the government could face in pursuit of this goal. Some of these include issues related to land acquisition, obtaining clearances from different government departments such as environmental clearances and getting the right developers for undertaking various infrastructure projects, particularly those that have been long-stalled.
Impact of the proposal on Real Estate:
Modi’s ‘100-city development plan’, if implemented effectively, will have a long-lasting impact not only on the image of Modi and his government but will also place India on a high pedestal, globally. The Real Estate sector of these cities could attain considerable growth with the development in infrastructure of these cities. It could attract foreign investment from various quarters to these cities with regards to real estate development, thereby propelling their economy to great heights. This could eventually contribute significantly to the country’s GDP thereby resulting in the growth and development of the country’s economy as a whole.
