CHENNAI: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the Centre to make labour an exclusively State subject by transferring it from the concurrent list to the State list. This will enable the States concerned to move ahead with their own labour reforms.

Addressing captains of industry at a meeting organised by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Mr. Modi, who was here to invite investors for the "Vibrant Gujarat" global investors meet 2007 being held in Gujarat in January next year, said Gujarat enjoyed peaceful labour relations, with the least number of man-days lost among all States. His Government believed not in giving incentives and subsidies, but in providing industry-friendly environment to industries. He claimed that Gujarat was the only State in the country where there was an uninterrupted three-phase power supply both to industries and to rural areas. This apart, the State had an excellent infrastructure, which included road and port connectivity. Above all, there was no red tapism.

Cultural ambassadors

Mr. Modi said the State was planning a five-year teacher integrated training programme after plus two to produce qualified teachers who were in great demand not only in the country, but also abroad. He said his dream was to export teachers who would be the cultural ambassadors of the country.

The State had also prepared Agro Vision 2010, a model blue print for all-round integrated development of agriculture. Already, the State was in the forefront in agriculture growth. While the Centre wanted States to aim for 4 per cent growth rate, Gujarat had already achieved 11 per cent growth, as against three per cent in a majority of the States. Apart from traditional areas for investment such as textiles, chemicals, petrochemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, there were ample scope for emerging areas such as information technology, IT enabled services, biotechnology and nano-technology.

The forthcoming global investors summit would be an excellent opportunity for industrialists to interact with captains of industry of India and the world, leading policy makers and diplomats. He concluded his address by saying that his motto was the nation's development along with Gujarat's development.

D. Rajagopalan, Principal Secretary (Industry and Mines), said the Government of India had recognised Gujarat as an important contributor to the economic development of the country.

Earlier, in his welcome address, SICCI president S. Ramanathan said a synergy could be worked out between Tamil Nadu and Gujarat for the States' mutual benefit.

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