The Hindu : Front Page : Inclusive growth guiding principle of our policies, says Manmohan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
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Inclusive growth guiding principle of our policies, says Manmohan

Special Correspondent

"Economic growth must be socially inclusive and regionally balanced"

Global environment supportive of developmental aspirations

— Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

PROGRESS CARD: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi releasing the "Report to the People 2004-2007" at a function to mark the completion of three years of UPA Government, at the Prime Minister's residence, in New Delhi on Tuesday. From left are T.R. Baalu, Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar and Ram Vilas Paswan.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the main objective of his Government is to ensure that while sustaining higher rates of economic growth, the improved performance of the economy contributes to employment generation, poverty reduction and human development.

For the fifth year in succession, the country recorded a rate of economic growth of over 8.5 per cent, he said in his foreword to the United Progressive Alliance's "Report to the People." It was here released on Tuesday on the occasion of completion of three years of the UPA Government.The National Common Minimum Programme was based on the recognition that economic growth must be socially inclusive and regionally balanced.

"This has been the guiding principle of our Government's policies in the past three years," the Prime Minister said.

Key components

There were seven key components in its strategy of "inclusive growth," including stepping up investment in rural areas and agriculture; increasing credit availability to farmers; increasing rural employment; increasing public spending on education, healthcare and strengthening the mid-day meal scheme; investing in urban renewal; empowering the Scheduled Castes/Tribes and other backward classes, minorities, women and children socially, economically and educationally; and ensuring that through public investment the growth process spreads to backward regions and districts.

Strategy

"This strategy of `inclusive growth' combines empowerment with entitlement and investment. Education empowers, improved health care empowers, employment guarantee entitles, fulfilling quota obligations entitles. Through a combination of offering entitlement, ensuring empowerment and stepping up public investment, our Government has sought to make the growth process more inclusive."

The Prime Minister recounted the gains of foreign policy and said together they made global environment more secure for the country. "Never before has the external political and economic environment been more benign and supportive of our developmental aspirations. The world wants India to do well and it is up to us to take up the challenge and opportunity at hand."

Development was not just a matter of quantitative growth but it entailed a qualitative change in mindsets and in aspirations. This required political stability and social cohesion, an environment in which the full creativity of the people could find free expression. The Government was committed to providing such an environment, Dr. Singh said.

Bonding and socialising

The evening function at the Prime Minister's residence was attended by all senior leaders of the UPA parties including Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar, T.R. Baalu and Ambumani Ramadoss. Later the Left leaders, including Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), A.B.Bardhan, Sudhakar Reddy and D. Raja (CPI) joined a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister. The Left leaders were given the pride of place at high table.

As one of the few occasions for the UPA leaders and parliamentarians to come together, the third anniversary function saw a relaxed evening of bonding and socialising.

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