The Hindu Business Line : Time to evolve campaign to wipe out terrorism: Kalam

THE PRESIDENT, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, with the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh (left), and the President of Indian Merchants' Chamber, Mr Nayan Patel, releasing the chamber's centenary logo in Mumbai on Tuesday. — Paul Noronha

Mumbai , July 18

The President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has structured a framework for eradicating terrorism from the country.

The National Campaign to Eradicate Terrorism (NCET), evolved by the President post the Mumbai suburban rail blasts, aims at wiping out terrorism by garnering the support of citizens. Mr Kalam was inaugurating the centenary celebrations of the Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC) in Mumbai on Tuesday.

"Time has come to evolve an aggressive national campaign to wipe out terrorism. The NCET will be mission-oriented and it will be launched with good public participation. The action-oriented campaign will be a concerted affair involving various law enforcement agencies and Government departments,'' Mr Kalam said.

"When evil minds combine and conspire, good minds with sound intelligence and sanity should come together and foil the evil groups attempts to derail peace,'' the President said.

He visited the blast victims at KEM Hospital in the city and promised an aid of Rs 25 lakh from his fund for cochlear implantation of three patients suffering from rupture eardrums.

The President also appealed the members of the chamber to offer financial help to the victims (injured) of the blast.

`TECH, INDUSTRY & COMMERCE'

Speaking on the topic `Technology, industry and commerce', Mr Kalam laid stress on the need to streamline procedures and work towards a single window clearance system to attract foreign investments in a big way.

The President also emphasised on the need to implement programmes like PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) to the fullest.

"Screening the sectoral growth pattern, both manufacturing and services sectors are showing robust growth whereas the agriculture is substantially lagging behind,'' he said.

To raise agricultural growth to over 4 per cent, the country will have to resort to farm management-based approach that will provide the newer technologies to the farming community, he said adding that there is need to increase loan allocation to agriculture, which has remained static at 10 per cent for quite some time.

Growth competitiveness

"India has moved up in competitiveness to 50 from 56 rank. Growth competitiveness is determined by the innovative ability of an organisation.

"I would like to pose a challenge to the industry leaders to work collectively to bring the growth competitiveness index of India to less than 10. On achieving this, we will realise the goal of transforming India into a developed nation very fast,'' he said.

He emphasised on the need to start a co-operative movement to bolster cotton production in the country.

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