Get 'extra' bucks for a dollar visit MP site for 'more'-II

The MP government had dropped the creation of a gem and jewellery park in Indore two years back but the website still informs: "A state of art Gems & Jewellery park at Indore with an area of 18,1999 sq metres is under construction."

Few days back newspapers had prominently covered that Nahar Spinning Mills and Pratibha Syntex have dropped their plans for new units in Madhya Pradesh but the website still displays the information.

On cost advantage, the data collected by website are roughly mentioned. It says the land for setting up business in Madhya Pradesh is cheaper while the fact is that no land is available for industry in all growth centres and industrial areas.

All new industries which are coming to Madhya Pradesh have to acquire land on their own. The rates are around $60 per sq meter in Bhopal and it is touching $200 per sq meter in Indore. In outskirts of both these industrial towns, the land rates are touching $15-20 per sq metre.

The website surprises with the per capita income of Madhya Pradesh. It says that the per capita income at current prices (2001-02) is Rs 11.718, while the same was Rs 13,860 as per state economic survey 2004-05.

The website rules out any labour unrest in the state, while data available with Business Standard indicates that the state registered 14 incidences of labor unrest during 2004 involving 6,000 labours. Similarly up till August 2005, there were 12 incidents of labour unrest involving 1,400 labours.

Even the rainfall data is not correct. The website says the average rainfall in the state is minimum 700 mm to 1800 mm maximum while local weathermen DP Dubey told BS, "MP has never recorded a maximum rainfall of more than 990 mm."

Further, the basic infrastructure data is also incorrect. The state has total 7,405-Mw capacity against 4637.2 Mw shown on the website. The road length in the state is touching 72,416 km. Even in 2001-02, it was 72,355 km. But the website indicates 67,600 kms of road network in the state.

The length of national highways, according to the department, is 4,676 km while the website shows it at 5,070 km. The literacy data also is not in accordance with the 2001 census.

According to 2001 census, the state has literacy rate of 63.7 per cent while the website displays it at 61.8 per cent. Even the MPSIDC and FICCI officials have not cared to collect proper figures as the contribution of the primary sector to probably GDP has been misrepresented.