The Hindu : New Delhi News : Thakur for bold initiatives to help cane growers

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Thursday, Dec 20, 2007
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Thakur for bold initiatives to help cane growers

Special Correspondent

Rameshwar Thakur

NEW DELHI: Participating in the meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) on the 11th Five Year Plan, Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Wednesday called for decisive steps to consolidate the gains of the past and take on the challenges of the future by strengthening weak areas such as agriculture, improving infrastructure and allocating “sufficient” resources to sectors such as health and education.

“Very appropriately, the focus of the 11th Plan is on inclusive growth. At one level, this implies that all sectors of the economy ought to be part of the overall growth story of India in the years to come. At another level, this requires that in the growth of each sector, the smaller and the more vulnerable players were also enabled to actively participate in and contribute to the growth of that sector,” he said. Endorsing the vision articulated in the plan document for a broadbased development process that generated opportunities and ensured better quality of life for all and more so for the weaker sections, minorities and women, he particularly called for measures to solve the problems of different sectors going through periodical ups and downs.

Highlighting the plight of sugarcane farmers of Karnataka because of the glut in cane production this year, he said though the Union Ministry had been forward looking and the State Government had been pro-active, the farmers had not benefited fully.

“The situation calls for bold initiatives to provide direct relief to the cane growers during this crisis year by the Government of India and State Government acting together in a concerned manner.”

He also called for early formulation of guidelines for the scheme to universalise secondary education so that it could become operational fast and urged for introduction of greater flexibility in the operational guidelines for the various Centrally sponsored schemes, since the thrust of the eleventh plan was on sectors, where State Government had a major role to play.

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