Shri Pranab Mukherjee on rural growth

30-September-2013 19:12 IST
"A Rural Growth Strategy Necessary To Make A Decisive Impact On Poverty"

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee lighting the lamp to inaugurate the 19th Regular Meeting of the CIRDAP (Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific) Governing Council, in New Delhi on September 30, 2013. The Union Minister for Rural Development, Shri Jairam Ramesh and the Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Pradeep Jain are also seen. (PIB)

New Delhi 30 September 2013 (PIB): A rural growth strategy has become necessary to make a decisive impact on poverty and to trigger a development process that combines growth with equity, said Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India, while addressing the inaugural session of the 19th Governing Council of Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and Pacific (CIRDAP) in the capital. Shri Mukherjee also added that technology has to be the vehicle to bridge distances – not only in terms of geography, but also for progress and development. He further said that the digital divide between urban and rural areas has to be broken and technology based solutions have to assist interventions in farming, health care and education. 

While addressing the delegations of 15 member countries of CIRDAP, Shri Mukherjee underlined the importance of efficient land management. Principles of community empowerment have to be adopted to increase the productivity of land, particularly rain-fed, degraded and wastelands. Climate change, energy security and environmental degradation have to be given priority in development initiatives. Judicious natural resource management has to be ensured while putting people first, The President added. 

The President gave away the CIRDAP Appreciation Awards to the National Institute of Rural Development, Govt of India, Ministry of Local Govt, Bangladesh and to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand 

In his address, Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Rural Development, Govt of India, announced that 20 fellowships on rural development will be given to professionals from Asia Pacific countries, under the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. They will be trained in various institutes of excellence in India on various topics related to rural development, he added. 

Mohammad Ali Nikbakht, Deputy Minister of Planning, Economic and International Affairs in the Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Islamic Republic of Iran, Shri Pradeep Jain ‘Aditya’, and Shri Lal Chand Kataria Ministers for State for Rural Development, Govt of India, Mr S Vijay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development and Dr Cecep Effendi, Director General of CIRDAP were also present. 

The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous organization which plays a supplementary and reinforcing role in supporting and furthering the effectiveness of integrated rural development programmes in Asia and the Pacific. India is one of the founding members of the CIRDAP. The other member-countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Governing Council is the highest authority of CIRDAP. It consists of the Ministers in charge of agriculture and rural development in the member countries. The Governing Council formulates policies, provides directions to the Centre and approves Planning, the biennial work programme and the budget. 
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