By Harsh Goenka
Mumbai, India’s economic capital, has been home to the biggest leaders, artists, industrialists, sportsmen and intellectuals alike. Mumbai, a city with a soul, has given international acclaim to India and has always shown resilience beyond imagination even at the times of greatest crisis. Currently, 15% of India’s GDP, 17% of industrial output and 16% of the services sector comes from Maharashtra.
But the big question today is – will a common Mumbaikar be able to proudly boast of Mumbai as the ‘city of dreams? Will Maharashtra be able to hold its position as India’s economic powerhouse in today’s dynamic world of digitization and technological innovation?
In the past decade, Maharashtra has been struggling with a lot of issues.Infrastructure development in the state has been abysmally slow; Mumbai’s roads are congested, housing costs in the city have gone beyond the common man’s reach; pollution in Maharashtra’s large cities has become unbearable as has water shortage across the state. Is there a solution to the state’s mounting issues? Well, I think the current political scenario leading to a new leadership team in the state may be one of the triggers which can catapult us towards a path of growth and reforms.
So, what does the state really need? – What we need really is a leader with a vision, with purpose and with integrity. We need an environment free of corruption and a red carpet approach to investments to let Maharashtra rediscover the glory of being a clear leader amongst all the states. Along with world-class airports and super-highways, infrastructure focus must include good hospitals, schools, electricity and low-cost housing. The need of the hour is inclusive development. We need ten more cities like Mumbai in Maharashtra. We need to embrace technology in each and every aspect of life. We need digitization in government offices and connectivity within cities.
The fruits of this effort will help to build a quality of life that is sorely lacking at present with the state’s resources stretched way beyond capacity. This will not be possible without a charismatic leader with stature, honesty, imagination, strong will and decisiveness. It’s only then that we can emerge as a competent economic hub of international standards.
The upcoming assembly elections are quite unique. With the alliance between BJP-Shiv Sena and NCP-Congress having been broken it is unlikely that any of the four parties will get a majority, so the formation of government may be a complex affair. However, I do hope there is a surprise and one of the parties emerges with a clear majority, like at the centre. The entire nation is looking forward to the result of this election with bated breath. Whatever the result, we know that the people of Maharashtra have a never-saydie attitude which has always kept us ahead of the pack. I hope the future brings the best for us. Ami ujjwal bhavishyachi asha karat ahot !!
Mumbai, India’s economic capital, has been home to the biggest leaders, artists, industrialists, sportsmen and intellectuals alike. Mumbai, a city with a soul, has given international acclaim to India and has always shown resilience beyond imagination even at the times of greatest crisis. Currently, 15% of India’s GDP, 17% of industrial output and 16% of the services sector comes from Maharashtra.
But the big question today is – will a common Mumbaikar be able to proudly boast of Mumbai as the ‘city of dreams? Will Maharashtra be able to hold its position as India’s economic powerhouse in today’s dynamic world of digitization and technological innovation?
In the past decade, Maharashtra has been struggling with a lot of issues.Infrastructure development in the state has been abysmally slow; Mumbai’s roads are congested, housing costs in the city have gone beyond the common man’s reach; pollution in Maharashtra’s large cities has become unbearable as has water shortage across the state. Is there a solution to the state’s mounting issues? Well, I think the current political scenario leading to a new leadership team in the state may be one of the triggers which can catapult us towards a path of growth and reforms.
So, what does the state really need? – What we need really is a leader with a vision, with purpose and with integrity. We need an environment free of corruption and a red carpet approach to investments to let Maharashtra rediscover the glory of being a clear leader amongst all the states. Along with world-class airports and super-highways, infrastructure focus must include good hospitals, schools, electricity and low-cost housing. The need of the hour is inclusive development. We need ten more cities like Mumbai in Maharashtra. We need to embrace technology in each and every aspect of life. We need digitization in government offices and connectivity within cities.
The fruits of this effort will help to build a quality of life that is sorely lacking at present with the state’s resources stretched way beyond capacity. This will not be possible without a charismatic leader with stature, honesty, imagination, strong will and decisiveness. It’s only then that we can emerge as a competent economic hub of international standards.
The upcoming assembly elections are quite unique. With the alliance between BJP-Shiv Sena and NCP-Congress having been broken it is unlikely that any of the four parties will get a majority, so the formation of government may be a complex affair. However, I do hope there is a surprise and one of the parties emerges with a clear majority, like at the centre. The entire nation is looking forward to the result of this election with bated breath. Whatever the result, we know that the people of Maharashtra have a never-saydie attitude which has always kept us ahead of the pack. I hope the future brings the best for us. Ami ujjwal bhavishyachi asha karat ahot !!
