Manmohan Singh calls efforts to enhance productivity

New Delhi, Sep 15 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that efforts should be made to remove deficiencies to enhance productivity across all sectors of the economy.

Presenting the Prime Minister's Shram Awards for 2005, 2006 and 2007, Dr Singh said: "The country's economic performance in the last few years has been impressive and is poised to move to a trajectory of sustained high economic growth which is essential for fighting persistent poverty, hunger and disease that still afflicts millions of people."

"Our aim is a growth rate of nine to ten per cent in the medium term. But this will not happen automatically. There are deficiencies we will have to remove and strengths that we will have to acquire," he added.

"To achieve our goals and our ambitions, we will have to enhance productivity across all sectors of the economy. Our resources are limited and need to be utilized optimally," he added.

Noting that the resources are limited and need to be utilised optimally, he asked the people to pay greater attention to cutting costs and boosting the quality of the products and services.

Dr. Singh said the credit for the economic development achieved by the country in the last six decades went in no small measue to the millions of men and women who have toiled to build India's physical infrastructure, its roads, ports, airports, hydroelectric projects and giant industrial complexes.

"It is their tireless hard work that has enabled our country to merge as the strong economy of today," he added

Dr Singh said the Government was alive to the great importance of the working class and the human element in industrial and agricultural production.

"We believe that working men and women are the most precious and most important assets of our country. Our effort is to promote the wellbeing of all sections of workers, especially those in the unorganised sector," he said.

Pointing out that, in the increasingly integrated world, new knowledge, information and skills had become critical determinants of economic development, Dr. Singh said India, as a nation, needed to pay much greater attention to education and skill development.

"Our country needs an enabling environment which encourages and rewards innovation in all walks of our economic life. We need more responsive training systems and institutions," he added.(ANI)