More than a year after communal violence hit Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the incidents had had no effect on economic growth of the state.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting to finalise the state annual plan for 2003-04, Modi said that Gujarat had registered a growth of over 9 per cent last year and expressed hope that growth would touch 10.2 per cent in the Tenth Five-Year Plan period.

Modi dismissed reports about economic activity being adversely affected in the backdrop of riots and said such 'baseless' information was being spread by rumour-mongers.

The Gujarat chief minister said that several special economic zones, including one at Kandla, had been activated, when asked about the steps being taken to promote development in the state. He also asked the central government to depute a team of experts to assess the activity in the SEZs.

Gujarat will soon see a forward movement on the remaining zones identified for development, he claimed.

Expressing satisfaction over the Rs 7,860 crore (Rs 78.60 billion) plan approved for the next fiscal, Modi said the Planning Commission had approved several of its schemes including one to provide electricity round the clock to the rural areas.