The Hindu : Front Page : New architecture of inclusive growth being built: Kalam

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Saturday, Feb 24, 2007
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New architecture of inclusive growth being built: Kalam

Special Correspondent

President's address reflects concern for social justice

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

BUDGET SESSION: President Abdul Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.R. Dasmunsi arrive for the Parliament's budget session, which began on Friday. — Photo: R.V. Moorthy

NEW DELHI: " My Government is building a new architecture of inclusive growth," said President Abdul Kalam in the traditional address to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament at the beginning of the budget session on Friday.

In so far as the President's customary address represents entirely an incumbent government's priorities and agenda, Mr. Kalam's speech reflected the Manmohan Singh government's commitment to social justice for "the weaker sections of our society," notwithstanding the sense of satisfaction and "great optimism about our economic performance and prospects." Acknowledging that "a check on inflation is an essential element of any strategy of inclusive growth," the President gave his government's "solemn commitment" that the requisite steps would be taken to "ensure that the poor are not adversely affected by inflation."

Though the President asserted at the very beginning that "fiscal responsibility was not an academic obsession," major portions of his address were devoted to assuring the ruling alliance's political constituency that the government was not exclusively taken up with the "shining and rising India" rhetoric, and, instead, was engaged in finding resources for "inclusive and equitable" economic growth.

He catalogued elements of the new architecture of inclusive growth: Bharat Nirman, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the National Rural Health Mission, the strengthened and extended Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Mid-Day Meal and ICDS Programmes, and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Besides reiterating the Government's continued commitment to "the social, educational and economic empowerment of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, Minorities, women and children," the President said that "we will take all measures necessary to ensure that the fruits of development are shared equitably and backward minority groups become active participants and beneficiaries in our growth processes. My Government is considering the formulation of a programme for those districts and towns that have the highest concentration of minority populations."

At the same time, he detailed his government's developmental priorities for building "world class infrastructure", and its preference on the "public private partnerships" strategy for building up roads, ports, airports and power generation.

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