The Hindu : National : Call to corporates to partner panchayati raj institutions

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Friday, Sep 22, 2006
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Call to corporates to partner panchayati raj institutions

Staff Reporter

This is needed to uplift rural masses, says Mani Shankar Aiyar

Photo: R. Ragu

Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry president S. Ramanathan welcoming Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar in Chennai on Thursday. The chambers vice-president, A. Vellayan, looks on.

CHENNAI: Calling upon corporate India to partner panchayati raj institutions for upliftment of rural masses, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar on Thursday said unless the urban-rural, rich-poor divide was bridged democracy would be in peril.

"Democracy will be in danger," he warned, while pointing out that indications of this were evident in the prevalence of naxalism, in pockets, in as many as 160 out of the 600 districts of the country. Mr. Aiyar was inaugurating the 96th annual general meeting of the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI).

Noting that one reason for naxalism was the disillusion of the people with the manner in which the nation-building process was undertaken, the Union Minister said it was time to pause and reflect towards reconciling the interests of the class with that of the masses.

But in doing so "we do not need to pit the classes against the masses ... [instead] spread the benefits of growth to a large number of people," he said.

Welcoming SICCI president S. Ramanathan's offer of the chamber's participation in the exercise to make `private, public and panchayati raj partnership' effective, Mr. Aiyar said if the desire was to become socially responsible corporate citizen then industry must partner the panchayati raj institutions.

A lot could be achieved by developing the concept of Rural Business Hubs programme of his Ministry seeking to bring about economic transformation in rural India. The emphasis, while making the masses integral to the business, should be on creating non-farm rural employment, Mr. Aiyar said.

The Union Minister was talking after a presentation on the Rural Business Hub programme by P.K. Kesavan, director in the Ministry, and on the e-choupal programme of ITC Limited by its head (new initatives) Srinivasa Rao.

Mr. Ramanathan said the SICCI felt that there was a need to create a platform for effective interaction between industry and panchayats and a local level committee should be constituted.

SICCI vice-president A. Vellayan, while reiterating the chamber's support for rural growth, underlined the need for political will to look at upliftment of the masses through long-term development measures instead of sops.

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