Kalam calls for 10% GDP growth, developing 7000 PURAs

New Delhi, Jan 12: President A P J Abdul Kalam today called for increasing the growth rate of GDP to 10 per cent and uplifting over 220 million people living below the poverty line by having 7000 PURAs (Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas) in the country.

Inaugurating the Inter-Ministerial Summit of the Afro-Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) here, Dr Kalam said, ''If we have to uplift the 220 million people living below poverty line and provide them with improved quality of life, we have to ensure that the overal GDP growth rate has to be increased to 10 per cent from the existing 8 per cent and then maintain it for a decade. For this, employment generation particularly in rural areas is very essential.'' The President stressed the need for Integrated Action for Rural Prosperity and said PURA (Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas) programme could play a crucial role transforming Indian economy and making it a developed nation.

He emphasised the need for developing 7000 PURAs encompassing 600,000 villages of the country. PURA envisages an integrated development plan with employment generation as the focus, driven by provision of habitat, health care, education, skill development, physical and electronic connectivity and marketing.

Apart from concentrating on reinforcing agriculture, PURAs would emphasise on agro processing, development of rural craftsmanship, dairy, fishing, silk production so that non-farm revenue in rural sector is enhanced based on the core competence of a region. Also rural economy will be driven by renewable energy such as solar, wind, bio-fuel and conversion of municipal waste into power so as to ensure sustainable development.

Citing the examples of various PURAs developed by the government and private initiatives in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, Dr Kalam said that they could help the AARDO member countries in eradicating poverty, illiteracy and diseases through its core competence leading to employment generation.

However, to achieve this, a dynamic, empowered PURA management board was vital, the Presdient felt. He suggested that such a board be evolved with active participation of the state governments, district authorities, societal transformers, educational institutions, small scale industries or an enterprise in association with the local government. It should be managed as a viable and sustainable business proposition through local enterpreneurship, he said.

He said that four types of PURA based on terrain should be developed namely Plain Terrain PURA, Hill PURA, Coastal PURA and Desert PURA.

The thrust areas for PURA would be creation of employment opportunities for all especially youth, capacity building in education through value added employable skill and knowledge.

Quality health and timely health care, safe drinking water, quality reliable electric power, energy and water efficient permanent houses be built.

The PURA complex has got a potential to transform into a dyanamic rural complex with focus on employment potential for all families and have connection with nearest university to have 100 per cent literacy.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said rural development has been the primary concern of the UPA government with Rs 314.44 billion being committed for it during 2006-07. He said his ministry was committed to fulfil the goals set under Bharat Nirman within the prescribed time frame of 2008-09.

Under Bharat Nirman, developmental works are undertaken in the areas of irrigation, road, rural housing, water supply, rural electrification and rural telecommunication connectivity. He said that utmost importance is being given to rural sanitation.

He said the ministry was committed to eradicate poverty and hunger from rural India by the end of Eleventh Plan period as a part of Millennium Development Goal. This has been put into the Common Minimum Programme of the government.

Mr Singh hoped the interaction between the member countries to collaborate will enhance the quality of research and training endeavours among AARDO member countries and strengthen the existing network of institutions. Sharing of expertise in areas like participatory development, planning and management of watershed and management of RD with information and communication technology for sustainable development should take place, he added.

He said that collaboration between AARDO members and plementation of rural development programmes with renewed determination and vigour has the potential to transform the world and make it more prosperous.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Abdall Yahia Adam, Secretary General of AARDO said globalisation has not brought the promised economic benefits and there was a growing divide between the haves and have-nots leaving a large number of people in the Third World in dire poverty, living on less than a dollar mainly in Africa and Asia. The rural development initiatives of AARDO could change this, he added.

UNI