labels: economy - general, agriculture, governance
Doubling agricultural growth key to 8% GDP: Ahluwalia news
25 June 2005

Mumbai: Delivering the 22nd Sir Purshotamdas Thakurdas Memorial Lecture on June 24 in Mumbai, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, chairman, Planning Commission, said that to usher in the second generation of the green revolution, technology must be introduced in agriculture. This, he said, would usher in faster growth to reach the 2002-07 tenth plan target between.

He was speaking on the theme ''Globalisation and India: Challenges and Opportunities'' organised by the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance.

India, he said, could attain eight per cent economic growth rate only if it doubles its agricultural growth from two to four per cent. The first three years of the tenth plan have witnessed 6.5 per cent economic growth, paving the way for higher growth.

To do so three areas — agriculture, The social sector and infrastructure needed focus

To make reforms inclusive, agriculture-related areas like poultry and horticulture should be developed for the overall growth of the sector, he said and added, ''The corporate sector, too, needs to be involved in agricultural sector,'' he said.

Dr Ahluwalia said globalisation was not responsible for the bottlenecks in the agricultural sector. "Domestic policies need to be corrected for the agricultural growth,'' he said.

For the development of the country thesocial structe, signified by quality education and teaching English at an early age were essential. To make the benefits of globalisation to larger sections of the population the overall development of the social sector ws important.

Infrastrucuture — power, roads, ports and airports — need to be developed for the growth of the manufacturing sector, he said while adding that the growth of the manufacturing sector needs to be doubled.

He also reiterated public and private partnership for infrastructural growth.


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Doubling agricultural growth key to 8% GDP: Ahluwalia