The Hindu Business Line : Kalam calls for raising GDP growth to 10 pc

HOUSING MEET: The President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, with the Minister of State for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Ms Kumari Selja, at a meeting in the Capital on Friday. — Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi , Dec. 15

The President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Friday stressed the need for ramping up the country's GDP growth rate to about 10 per cent in order to uplift the condition of the population living below poverty line.

"If we have to uplift the 220 million people living below poverty and provide improved quality of life, we have to ensure that the overall GDP has to be increased to 10 per cent from the existing eight per cent and maintained for a decade," he said while addressing the first Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference here on Housing and human settlements.

Improvement

He said that for improving the state of those living in poverty, employment generation, particularly in the rural areas, was essential. "This necessitates the spread of development process to the rural sector," he said.

Mr Kalam said the PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) programme could be a vehicle of sustainable development. The aim is to make sustainable development using the core competence of the rural sector, he said, adding that PURA envisages an integrated development plan with employment generation as the focus.

The President said it was rare that the country was simultaneously witnessing an ascending economic trajectory, continuously rising foreign exchange reserve, reduced rate of inflation and global recognition of technological competence.

Referring to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), he said it was effectively addressing the need for in-situ development of the existing slums so that the existing and future cities cater to the needs of the poor and improve their quality of life.

He suggested that while executing JNNURM, care should be taken to see that the habitats are of high quality.

On diminishing water resources, he said water during monsoon went unutilised in the absence of storage facilities in the urban and rural areas. Mr Kalam said there was an urgent need to implement local water harvesting and recycling systems in each habitat.