The name feku has stuck to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in cyberspace because of his tall claims.Ajay Umat recalls some of Modis lofty dreams before he was called the vote ka saudagar
Gujarat farmers will sell petrol
In 2005,when the US denied him a visa,Modi said he will make Gujarat such a destination that one day the state will be compared with America.Modi said farmers would be like Arab sheikhs and they will soon see crude oil pouring out of taps in their fields.Farmers would sell pouches of petrol and diesel instead of milk.
REALITY
This was too good to be true.Leave alone petrol,diesel and milk,there is an acute water scarcity across Gujarat.
Gas bag
On June 25,2005,Modi announced the biggest ever gas find in India,valued at around Rs 2 lakh crore.Modi announced that Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) had discovered 20 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas,more than the total gas find of India,at KG basin off Andhra coast.The director general (hydrocarbons),the central regulator,countered that the find was not more than 2 tcf
REALITY
After spending Rs 12,000 crore of public money,not even a cubic meter gas has come out.From exploration,GSPC has gone into trading.CAG has often slammed the GSPC.
Bringing alive Saraswati
Modi announced in 2006 that he would bring the Saraswati alive by inter-linking rivers.
REALITY
Water was pumped into the dry Saraswati riverbed with the help of pipeline just for a day-long tamasha in Siddhpur which was attended by Modi and many Hindu seers.
Sardar Sarovar Project by 2010
In the budget speech of 2007-08,he said the Completion of Sardar Sarovar Project by the year 2010 was an important Golden Goal to mark the 50 years of formation of Gujarat.
REALITY
Only 35% command area is covered and it may take another five years to complete the project.CAG has said that lack of canals has led to non achievement of targeted irrigation benefits and unproductive expenditure or thousands of crores of rupees.
Kalpasar Project - distant dream
In 2004,Modi inaugurated the Kalpasar project in Bhavnagar and announced that it was estimated to cost about Rs 54,000 crore.This project envisages the construction of a 64-km dam across the Gulf of Khambhat.Modi claimed that this dream project would be completed in record time.
REALITY
This project remains on paper and is at pre-feasibility stage.
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