An industrious minister

Before December, 2002, Anil Patel was more known as one of the successful industrialists in Gujarat.

He was the chairman of Gujarat Apollo Equipment Ltd, which has its plant in Mehsana.

The profit-making company had to lose its chairman during the third week of last December when Patel was sworn-in as the minister of state for industries, mines and tourism in the Narendra Modi government.

Since then, the state industries, mines and tourism departments have started working in a more professional manner.

Patel, who travels a lot in the state, may be missing the job of a company chairman now, but looks content with his new job.

In the last one year, he at least tried to give a patient hearing to the industries and their issues and sort out the major problems.

"The company is now being taken care of by my two sons educated abroad and now-a-days I do not interfere in the works of Gujarat Apollo as my sons are efficient enough to handle any issue," Patel said.

In the 43-year-long history of Gujarat, Patel, 59, is the only industrialist who turned to be the industries minister.

He emphasised on development of special economic zones in the state, port-based development, creating corridors for creating new industrial hubs and brining back a work-culture in ailing departments like Tourism.

"During the one year in office, the minister has come out with new policies on tourism, industries and mines and minerals. These are some efforts aimed at encouraging private sector participation. The three policies drafted and introduced by his department are more transparent in nature," a senior member of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) said.

"He is an experienced industrialist. That is why his administration made a difference. We want him to do more for the industries in Gujarat and specially, the development of tourism," the GCCI member said. Even the officials in his departments feel that Patel is different from the typical politicians.

"Files in his department moves faster. Whenever we go to him with any issue of the industries, he listens to the problems and then comes out with a solution," a senior IAS officer in Gandhinagar said.

Patel said, "In the last one year, my greatest achievement, I think, was changing the industrial scenario in the state."