http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e9931652-29cf-11de-9e56-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
Strained relations with local business By Amy Kazmin in Lucknow Published: April 15 2009 16:28 | Last updated: April 15 2009 16:28 Soon after Kumari Mayawati took power as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in May 2007, Reliance Fresh, the retail division of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, opened the first 10 of what were supposed to be at least 100 small grocery stores across the state. After the outlets were attacked on the opening day, Ms Mayawati – who three weeks earlier had unveiled a policy designed to facilitate modern retail – ordered the chain to close in the “greater interest of law and order”. Ms Mayawati’s mercurial stand towards Reliance Fresh highlights what business groups see as her indifference towards private companies and the challenges they face. Uttar Pradesh hosts large manufacturers including Yamaha and Daewoo, but business groups complain of a nexus between criminals and police creating serious security threats, including kidnappings and unrest. Small-scale industries say they are subjected to big power shortages, excessive red tape and pervasive harassment for bribes. Ms Mayawati has refused requests from local business associations to meet to discuss their woes. “They could do much better in terms of making the state a friendlier place for business,” says Jayant Krishna, vice-chairman of the Uttar Pradesh branch of the Confederation of Indian Industry. Senior bureaucrats in Ms Mayawati’s administration insist she is not anti-business, but say her priority is overcoming glaring infrastructure deficiencies with new power plant deals and an $8bn (€6bn, £5.3bn) highway across the state. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [email protected], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to [email protected] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
