The Hindu Business Line : Healthy social infrastructure a necessity: T.R. Baalu

SOLID FOUNDATION: The Vice-Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, Mr M. Naganathan (third from left), releasing the fair directory at `Build Expo 2007', the 3rd international construction fair in Coimbatore on Thursday. The President of COINTEC, A.V. Varadarajan (left), is receiving the first copy. Looking on are the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Mr. T.R. Baalu, (second from left), the Tamil Nadu Minister for Rural Industries, Mr Pongalur N.Palanisamy (extreme right), and the Chairman of the fair, Mr D. Balasundaram (third from right). — K. Ananthan

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Coimbatore Jan. 25 The Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Mr T.R. Baalu, has advocated the need for a `strong human capital formation' for strengthening the country's social infrastructure.

"Without a healthy social infrastructure, it would be impossible to have a strong physical infrastructure," he said on Thursday.

He was speaking at Build Expo 2007, the third International Construction Fair organised jointly by the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers, Builders Association of India and the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association.

Widening gap

The Minister while hailing the country's economic growth rate said, "growth alone is not enough if it does not produce the benefits that is sufficiently widespread."

Mr Baalu was referring to the increasing disparities between different regions and widening gap between the rich and poor.

Stating that construction activity formed an integral part of the country's infrastructure and industrial landscape, covering rural and urban infrastructure, roads, airports, sea ports, commercial and residential buildings and social infrastructure, he said the construction industry provided enormous scope for direct employment of skilled and unskilled persons.

"It employs over 30 million people, many of them women and migrants, who are unskilled. There is an urgent need to expand the training and skill of the labour force engaged in the construction activity," he added

Mr Baalu noted that the National Highways Authority could not identify a Consultant due to shortage of professionals in this space and the lack of skilled manpower in the construction industry among other reasons.

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