Bihar can't stop drain of human capital sans industrial growth: Shahnawaz Hussain (IANS Interview)

Manoj Pathak

Patna, Dec 31 (IANS) BJP National Spokesperson and former Bihar industry minister Shahnawaz Hussain, believes that preventing migration without industrial development in Bihar is a challenging task. He stated that no government in power in Bihar to date has worked with determination and dedication in this direction, which has led to the current situation. In a conversation with IANS, the former Union Minister expressed his views on several issues. 

"I had the opportunity to work as the Minister of Industries in the state for almost two years. I made efforts to reopen the closed ethanol factory here. There were several plans, but as soon as the government changed, those plans were shelved,” he stated.

When asked about ‘Bihar Business Connect 2023’ the Global Investors' Summit which concluded in Patna recently, he said that the summit was significant, but the Bihar government could not capitalise on it as much as it should have.

Hussain criticised the Bihar Government, saying that the industrial sector cannot progress merely on statistical games; it requires concrete action on the ground.

He added that despite it being such a significant summit, it was noteworthy to see how much time Chief Minister Nitish Kumar devoted to it. “If he attended the summit without making any public address, what message does it convey?” he asked.

The BJP National Spokesperson also emphasised that industry and crime cannot coexist. He said that the investors' summit in Patna was an attempt to deceive people in the name of attracting investments. “With the Chief Minister remaining silent throughout the meeting, how can people be encouraged to set up industries in Bihar? The Ministry of Industry is currently with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and industrialists know its history. How can anyone trust it?” he added.

Hussain said that nature has endowed Bihar with many resources, but the government remains unresponsive. He emphasised that under the current schemes of the Central Government, the basic infrastructure in Bihar is entirely ready and now what is needed is robust industrial development.

Hussain stated that the concept of preventing migration without industrial development is unrealistic. Industrial development will create significant employment opportunities. He also mentioned that Bihar has lagged far behind, so expecting substantial gains from small industries is not feasible.

He stated that while there are over 246,000 industries in the country, Bihar only has 3,429 industries. “If we talk about capital investment in industries, the average investment per factory in the country is Rs 15 crore, while in Bihar it is only Rs 4 crore per factory,” he said.

When IANS asked Hussain regarding the controversy surrounding the emerging dispute in the JD(U), he said that the party has never been able to form a government alone.

“The recent controversial statements of Nitish Kumar and his political flip-flops have diminished his political credibility,” he said.

He mentioned that the buzz in the JD(U) had already started ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, and it was certain to split before the polls.

Hussain stated that the BJP's graph was rising rapidly and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's credibility had not only increased among the people of the country but also internationally.

Responding to a question about the INDIA bloc, he said that most parties in the Opposition alliance were either fighting for their existence or facing corruption allegations. In such a scenario, they were coming together to form an alliance, but the leadership was not yet decided.

--IANS

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