Pro-poor Government Measures Will Lead to Outpouring of Socio-Economic Benefits: President Pranab Mukherjee at ASSOCHAM Summit

Recent  measures on financial inclusion, connecting India with digital revolution, adoption of model villages by legislators and Make-In-India manufacturing push are “determined efforts” of the government  which will lead to an “outpouring“  of socio-economic benefits including greater livelihood opportunities, said President Mr Pranab Mukherjee at the ASSOCHAM Summit.

“I am confident that these determined efforts will lead to an outpouring of socio-economic benefits …” the President said at the ASSOCHAM Summit on Livelihood Security of India.  

Addressing the packed Vigyan Bhawan, Mr Mukherjee enumerated several recent initiatives by the government including ‘Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana’, Digital India and financial inclusion programme. He also referred to the ‘Make- In- India’ initiative which “will lead our economy to be a manufacturing hub of low cost but high quality products”. The President has “great hopes on the “investor-friendly “ programme.  

While India’s demographic dynamism will position the country as the largest supplier of workforce in the world in another decade, “we have to equip them with capacity and expertise to make this impending demographic dividend count. A skilled working population at par with the best in the world can reap dividends like none other”.  

The President said the high incidence of poverty of over 60 per cent that prevailed six decades ago have come down to below 30 per cent now. But, “our goal now is poverty elimination, not merely ‘poverty alleviation’. The poor has to be the first claimants, and hence, the focal point of development activity”.  

Mr Mukherjee laid emphasis on job creation if poverty has to be removed. “To wipe out the curse of poverty, the most potent tool is job creation. Policies and programmes aimed at generating employment have to concentrate on the specific needs of this vulnerable segment”.  

The President also underlined the crucial role of agriculture in India’s economy and on the lives of people. Thus, “a sound agricultural system is indispensable for attaining a host of objectives like poverty eradication, food adequacy, nutritional security, expansion in rural employment and higher rural incomes”.  

In his inaugural address, ASSOCHAM President, Mr Rana Kapoor said, “Key sectors of India’s economy, such as Infrastructure, Agriculture including Agribusiness and Food Processing, MSME and Manufacturing, Tourism and Logistics can act as engines of economic growth as they have enormous job creation potential and have in recent years generated sizeable employment opportunities and incomes. There is immense, untapped potential within these sectors to further create a multiplier effect on India’s economy. While these sectors are extremely important, the Government needs to work in partnership with Industry, Institutions and all key stakeholders to leverage India’s demographic dividend and achieve the visionary development plan of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, to foster balanced economic, industrial and social development of our nation.” 

(ASSOCHAM)