With PM's blessings, will put MP among India's top states: CM Mohan Yadav

Congress is facing consequences of its ‘own karma’, said MP CM Mohan Yadav in an exclusive interview with TOI’s Akhilesh Singh and Prasenjit Mund. Criticising the opposition for its devotion to a single family, he suggests it should have democratised its structure instead. Ahead of hosting an investment summit in Bhopal, Yadav exuded confidence in the state’s turnaround
PM Narendra Modi has spoken of turning India into a $5 trillion economy. What would be MP’s contribution to it?
■ We are working on PM Modi’s vision and aligning our work in the same direction. We aim to double our economy in 5 years. MP’s success will be counted in India’s growth story. PM Modi has said that India will be the third largest economy in the world. That can be possible only when every state contributes to achieving the vision. Our aim is to exceed expectations. We will keep striving towards this.
Where do you see MP tomorrow in terms of industry?
■ We want to make MP the No. 1 state in the country. Our state has the potential and it has everything going for it. All that we need to do is to make the most of opportunities in the best interests of the state and our people. It’s not a one-day job. We have to persist with long-term vision and long-term goals. By tapping MP’s potential and bringing more investment, we want to stop the brain drain from the state. Bright youngsters from MP are leaving the state to work in other cities or abroad. We will ensure that they get enough opportunities here so that they can contribute to their home state’s growth.
Investment promises are part of every such summit. How will you ensure that plans turn into reality?
■ Earlier, things were limited to speeches and talk. We decided to work. We created new policies, tailormade for specific sectors, and threw open the state to investors. They will come only when they see the state has the wherewithal and the determination to keep its word. We know that it won’t work if we do this once and sit back. We have been at it. We held regional conclaves. I went out and held business meetings in India and abroad. When you do it every month, it becomes a part of work culture and becomes part of a system. It picks up momentum. Since we are present at so many platforms, we keep meeting industrialists. If someone promises an investment, they will keep running into us somewhere or the other and the project will, of course, come alive.
What are your plans to decentralise development and take it to small towns and villages?
■ Every region of Madhya Pradesh must grow and develop, which is why our plans encompass the entire state. Every district is unique, it has its own set of potentials and possibilities. The districts that are rich in minerals, can excel in mining. Where agriculture is bountiful, there can be farmbased growth. Spiritual sites have their inherent, almost autonomous economy of religious tourism. This, too, will grow in a big way. MP has tremendous potential in forests and wildlife tourism. We will augment infrastructure to make it even bigger. After all, we have cheetahs and the brand of ‘Tiger State’. Where roads and railway tracks are needed, we are taking care of it. We look at the needs of today and tomorrow, and are flexible in our approach. For instance, BRTS was adversely affecting Bhopal traffic, so we had it removed. What was yesterday’s need is past. We are planning for the future. And we are taking decisions swiftly. There is a big advantage in that.
What inspired you to personally tour cities and hardsell Madhya Pradesh as an investment destination?
■ I learnt from PM Modi that when you sit in a position of responsibility, if you don’t project your vision and immerse yourself entirely in the effort to achieve it, you will not succeed. When I was chairman of tourism corporation, I followed this rule for myself. Until the seed ends its own existence, no new plant can grow. If one has a vision, one has to also lead the way. My presence makes a difference at such meets. I believe it imbibes faith and trust in the minds of investors. Besides, God’s blessings also come my way for the hard work.
Madhya Pradesh won seven Krishi Karman Awards. Do you see the state winning industry accolades too?
■ We are already winning awards. We have got a wards in mining, tourism and education. We are one of the fastest growing economies in the country. Our GDP in the 2023- 24 fiscal grew by nearly 9.4%. We have even been awarded for good governance. Our revenue reforms have been well appreciated. We are No. 1 in agriculture, and we will soon be known as an industry powerhouse.
How will you convince industrialists about MP’s ease of doing business?
■ We have simplified the application and approval process. What took 28 permissions earlier, now requires only 10. Our intention is that when an investor thinks of coming to MP, they will have already made up their minds because of the environment they will get here. When an investor comes to us with a proposal, our aim is to give him all the clearances in 28 days, maximum. Earlier, it used to stretch on for six months to even a year. They would grow frustrated from the uncertainty. We have made things simpler.
MP has had political stability for a long time, and this is a major area of operation for BJP and RSS. Do you see this as an opportunity or a challenge?
■ We gain a lot from the strength of our organisation. We work like a family. Our work happens not because of someone’s post or designation but from a meeting of minds. It’s an administrative necessity that I am chief minister, otherwise there are so many veteran leaders, more senior to me, who we respect and work with perfect understanding.
‘Double-engine govt’ is a much talked about phrase. How has it benefited Madhya Pradesh?
■ Oh, we benefit greatly from it. We don’t have to even think twice on so many issues. Take GST. We get around Rs 1.25 lakh crore from the Centre on this account. If it wasn’t PM Modi’s sarkar, we couldn’t even think of so much funds, that too on time. In Ken-Betwa river-linking project — the first of its kind in the world — or the project to link Parbati, Kalisindh and Chambal (PKC) rivers, we are getting Rs 75,000 crore. We only have to pitch in with 10% of the project cost, 90% comes from the Centre. This is the power of ‘double engine’.
What is the status of MP’s river-linking projects?
■ Projects dragged on for 20 years but now Bhoomi-pujan has been performed and tenders have been issued. There’s a new culture that has developed under PM Modi. States used to fight with each other earlier whereas there should be solidarity. After all, we are part of the same country. Now we are working closely with Uttar Pradesh not only on this but also sharing solar energy. In PKC river-linking, 13 districts each in Rajasthan and MP will benefit. Our relations with Rajasthan are great. We have another major project on Tapti river with Maharashtra. The aim should be to find common ground and a way to work in tandem for the betterment of people. All this is possible because of double-engine sarkar.
Your govt has banned liquor at 19 religious sites and you said this was the first step. Is your govt working towards prohibition, and if so, is there a timeline?
■ At many places in MP, we had haphazard liquor bans. I said liquor should be banned completely in religious places. No half measures. Like Ujjain, liquor was prohibited in only 1km periphery. I extended it to the entire corporation area. So too with Omkareshwar, Datia, Orchha, Panna… If it’s a panchayat, nagar parishad or municipality, the entire area will be freed of liquor.
Will you move in the same direction?
■ Who has seen the future?
If you had to pick the top three industrial sectors as ones with the biggest potential for MP’s growth, which would they be?
■ I can name 13. We are very strong in energy sector, in all three forms – thermal, pump-storage hydroelectricity, which is big these days, and renewable energy. We are doing a lot of good work in solar and wind energy. Electricity from MP is powering the Delhi Metro. We sell power at the cheapest rates — solar at just Rs 2.10 per unit, where the rest of the country is selling it for Rs 4. We are doing a service to the nation. Similarly, mining sector is huge for us. We have diamonds. And now even gold mines. We are a mineral-rich state. Agriculture has tremendous potential, of course. We aim to turn into a powerhouse in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Pharma firms are lining up to come to MP. Our policies for start-ups and semiconductors are proving to be very attractive. Tourism is one of our strengths. We will do even better in this sector. We are the first in the country to launch air ambulance.
Would you be willing to reduce power tariffs for industries?
■ We are giving industries so much benefit here, too. We encourage them to set up captive power plants.
Congress was once strong here, but has been weakened drastically. Don’t you think a weak opposition is not healthy for a democracy?
■ For that, Congress has to first believe in ‘lok-tantra’ (democracy). Congress believes in ‘parivar-tantra’ (dynastic politics). Four generations ruled after Independence, like Raja-Maharaja. Congress should think about it. BJP believes in a strong democracy. This is why no one from PM Narendra Modi’s family is no CM. No one from my family has ever been an MLA, minister or CM. It’s the same with Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal and Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi. There is a long line of such leaders. We are flag-bearers of lok-tantra. Congress is paying a heavy price for it. It cannot shake off ‘parivarwaad’, which is why people are distancing themselves from it.