A Tale of Two CMs — Arvind Vs Amrinder
An English Idiom says “proof of the pudding is in the eating”. I come across a number of transactions where often the CMs are compared on the basis of anecdotal information or transactions. The judgment should be based on overall performance over a period.
I have collected facts from 2016 onwards to see how both CMs have performed. Some may argue that how we can compare a state versus the city or shorter tenure versus a longer one or there are many other dimensions that can be brought to challenge. My only submission here is that both have challenges of their own and advantages also on their own. Hence broadly speaking, it balances out. Moreover, for a state like Delhi, which is ahead of the curve, improvement becomes a bigger challenge than someone who is lagging behind. We have to consider all dimensions. We will never have an apple to apple comparison and hence for this reason I have relied more on growth trends and unit measures rather than absolute numbers. In addition, I have used fewer metrics to compare both where the overall direction and intent of both leaders can be understood.
Economy
For this, I have tried to capture GDP Growth trends at constant prices from 2016–17 till 2019-20.
Per Capita Income
Even though the per capita income of Delhi is nearly 3 times the Punjab average, Punjab’s per capita income failed to escalate. Delhi’s per capita upward movement despite being nearly 3 times the national average.
FDI
The cumulative FDI shows a significant difference despite the sizeable amount of the Punjabi population living abroad. This shows investment climate in Punjab needs to improve.
Export
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Merchandise export trends indicate Delhi despite being a smaller state with limited opportunities is able to make significant gains. Punjab is good in readymade garments & hosiery and yarn & textiles that account for a majority of the share in the overall exports of the state. In addition, rice and sports goods are the other major products that account for a significant share in Punjab’s export basket. For Delhi, electric machinery & equipment, ready-made manmade fibers, ready-made cotton (including accessories), and basmati rice accounted for a majority share in the overall merchandise export of the state.
Electricity
Electricity tariffs are one of the lowest in Delhi. There has been a significant amount of work done in Tariff rationalization. People are benefitted in Delhi several times more compared to Punjab from not just the lower tariff but good availability. I have taken up to 300 units for comparison. In addition, Delhi’s availability of power is 99.4% and exceeds the benchmark requirements of 98%. Punjab’s availability appears to be poor at the moment (<85%?).
Investment in Heath and Education
Per Capita investment in health and education has a huge difference between the two states. The chart below indicates the commitment of both states.
Unemployment
As per CMIE data, Punjab performed fairly well in terms of Unemployment compared to Delhi. Punjab did better than Delhi in labor participation and controlling unemployment.
Global Accolades for the State
Delhi was ranked 6th in the world’s top 10 best-performing metro economies in 2018. In 2021, Delhi becomes the only Indian city to feature in World’s Best Cities for 2021 list.
Conclusion
Punjab has a lot of potentials and is home to some of the most hardworking and progressive people. It needs a good leader to recognize the potential and drive it in the right direction. At the moment this comparison indicates that a shift in strategy is needed. Comparatively, based on the above metrics, Delhi has an edge over Punjab. Maybe over a period, Punjab will be able to iron out the gap.
The data captured here is from publicly available sources. If there is any discrepancy, please feel free to provide. This is for objective analysis of gaps for research and study purposes. Disagreements and constructive criticism, better metrics, and input are welcome. This will be an evolving story as well. Please feel free to like the story.
