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Liberalisation widened economic gap: expert

Staff Reporter

ISED holds seminar on `New development paradigm'

BHUBANESWAR: India might be now witnessing faster economic growth compared to nineties but its progress has allied with social tensions due to widening gap between rich and power, said noted expert on land reforms D. Bandyopadhyay here on Monday.

"The country was going at five per cent growth rate in 1980s. After liberalisation in 1990s the growth rate saw further improvement. Now we are competing with China to reach the double-digit figure. Economic progress is admirable. But it does not really improve the lives of the people of India," Mr. Bandyopadhyay said.

"In past 40 years, the Naxal movement has spread from one state in one police station to 14 states, 165 districts, 555 police stations. There must be some reason why people are taking up arms," he said.

Growth rate

Mr. Bandyopadhyay said when the rate of growth was around five per cent it could reduce poverty ratio by 13 per cent but post liberalisation poverty reduction was just one per cent.

"India is divided clearly into two nations; one shining in metro areas with high investment and the other a dark side with people languishing in poverty," he pointed out.

Mr. Bandyopadhyay was addressing a seminar on `New development paradigm, Women's Issues and Concerns' organised by city-based voluntary organisation Institute for Socio-Economic Development (ISED) here on Monday.

Strategy

Former vice-chancellor of Ranchi University and an expert on tribal affairs Ram Dayal Munda said "due to liberalisation, the gap between rich and poor has widened. But unfortunately, growth of corporate houses has been linked to prosperity of the country."

Till now, tribals were at receiving end as the companies were setting up industries or operating mines in their area but now non-tribals started realising the agony of displacement as agricultural lands were targeted by companies, he said.

The situation demanded a new development strategy to overcome shortcomings in present polices, Balaji Pandey of ISED said.

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