Udta Punjab is a movie and it would have remained just that – except perhaps, for bothering the statisticians who track box office collections – but for the Censor Board’s intervention. While the jury is still out on whether the movie will enter, or not, the Rs 100 cr club, Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and company have spotlighted the situation in a state that no longer tops the growth charts and what is troubling it most.
While the actors don’t really have any say in it, yet the very fact that the movie was made and acquired notoriety well before its release due to its intent to highlight the drug problem there, has had the effect of starkly showcasing falling Punjab fortunes. Here are the top 5 points to note about its economic metrics:
1. Punjab’s share of India’s agriculture GDP, something for which it was once renowned, is down from 6.6% to 5.6% in just the last decade; the state’s agriculture growth has crossed 2% just thrice between FY06 and FY15.
2. Punjab’s share of manufacturing in India has gone up marginally from 3.2% in FY06 to 3.8% in FY14, but this was a level reached in FY08. As a result, Punjab’s share of India’s GDP has been steadily declining, from 4.3% in 1985-86, all the way down to 2.96% in FY15.
3. Punjab’s debt-to-GSDP was 32.4% in FY15 as compared to 22.3% for the country as a whole.
4. Per capita investment in Punjab crawled from Rs 41,003 in FY09 to Rs 49,529 in FY14 while in neighbouring Haryana, it went up from Rs 49,780 to Rs 67,260.
5. On ease of doing-business, Punjab is ranked 15th in the country.
For those who want to know, Udta Punjab release date in India is 17 June.
