Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday made a strong case for ‘reservation in allocation’ for rural areas and expressed concern over the divide between rural and urban areas.
Mr. Naidu was speaking at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj’s Rural Innovators’ Startup Conclave inaugural.
Describing the divide as ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ which was not acceptable, Mr. Naidu said, “We need to increase allocations to rural areas. That is the reservation I am talking about. New reservations. And you need to take care of rural people on five issues—irrigation, infrastructure, interest rates, insurance and innovation.”
He also said education, employment, entertainment, economic opportunities and medical facilities should also be improved in rural areas. The Vice-President urged planners, parliamentarians and the press to harbour a bias for rural areas.
Referring to the Reserve Bank of India’s annual report for 2017-18 in which it said over 99% of the demonetised notes had returned to the bank, he said, “I am really happy that the money has come back to banks. It is the RBI’s job to say how much of it is black money.”
Minister of State for Rural Development Ram Kripal Yadav, Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh E.S.L. Narasimhan and NIRDPR Director General W.R. Reddy also spoke.
