The Hindu Business Line : Tap NRI resources to uplift rural areas, President tells AP

THE President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has asked the Andhra Pradesh Government to tap the vast diaspora of non-resident Indians (NRIs) from the State to jointly work in transforming the rural areas.

In his special address to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly today, the President said the State has a tradition of entrepreneurship and with the successful NRIs and their entrepreneurial skills, strengths and natural resources, it was possible to improve the lot of the farmers and rural poor.

Dr Kalam, the second President after Mr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy (1978) to address the AP Assembly, proposed a rural development model - Rupcon (Rural Prosperity with Connectivity), a 3-tier strategy based on providing connectivity's such as physical (infrastructure), electronic (ICT) and knowledge, which in turn would lead to economic activity.

He said the Panchayat Raj institutions should be empowered to provide the basic facilities. They should be linked to a Village Cluster (20-40 villages) and the projects should be taken on district level with emphasis on entrepreneurship, employment, and marketing support. The State Government should be a facilitator, while the public-private partnership the implementer, Dr Kalam said.

The President in his hour long `Power Point' presentation also unveiled a short-term development plan for Andhra Pradesh with 10 immediate mission projects in the area of agriculture, energy, drinking water, healthcare, weather monitoring and education. In all these, he advocated an integrated approach involving various Government departments, NGOs, private sector etc. in implementing development programmes.

Dr Kalam made a quick calculation and told the Assembly that the State would get about Rs 2,000 crore from its 295 MLA's and 42 MPs - each legislator (Rs 5 crore in 5 year term) and Parliamentarian (Rs 10 crore in 5 years). A bulk of this money, he suggested, should be committed to improving school infrastructure and teachers and health in the State.

Earlier, the Speaker, Mr K.R. Suresh Reddy, said the Assembly was honoured to have the President address the members. There were 143 first timers, 26 lady members and 10 recognised political parties in the 294-member house.

While the Governor, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, presented a memento to the President, the Chief Minister in his thanksgiving address said his Government would welcome the 10 missions suggested by the President.

The Government was laying emphasis on farmers, rural artisans, agriculture while focussing on IT, BT, infrastructure and tourism in an integrated development strategy.

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