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State a model for women's empowerment: Minister

Special Correspondent

`Decentralised planning aimed at removing starvation, poverty'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan has lauded Kerala's achievements in the area of women's empowerment.

Inaugurating a discussion on `Decentralised planning and development,' organised as part of Reading Week here on Sunday, he said Kerala's achievements in the area were a model to the country.

He said decentralised planning was aimed at removing starvation, poverty and inequalities and ushering in social change and development.

It was possible to provide transparent, concerted and effective service to society through decentralised planning. A society which had lofty democratic vision, efficiency, political will and commitment should be able to translate the concept of development fully into reality, he said.

The meeting was chaired by Pannian Ravindran, MP.

Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran, who inaugurated the closing function later during the day, called for a collective effort by the people to empower the people through knowledge.

It was the need of the times to convince society of the strength of reading.

He added that reading was the intellectual and thought provoking strength in an era of modern technology and methods of communication.

Food Minister C. Divakaran, who presided, said the norm of development should be the raising of the standard of living of the common man.

He said the reading movement would give a new dimension to the Grameen Vigyan Kendras, which were being opened.

T.K.A. Nair, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, was among those who attended the programme.

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