CHENNAI: Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday stressed the need to bridge the urban and rural divide in the country for inclusive growth. Speaking at the second anniversary of Chennai International Centre at the Madras School of Economics, he said that right from the Parliament, planning commission to political parties, all focus is only on urban areas as it is an organised sector which generates revenue.
“The spotlight needs to shift to the rural areas. Our system is very sensitive to consumers, but not towards the producers. Political parties champion the problems of the organised urban consumers and pay little attention to the unorganised rural producers,” he said. “This bias can hamper our country’s growth,” he added.
By improving road connectivity, avoiding erratic power supply and providing clean potable water to those living in rural India, the gap in living standards in the cities and villages can be made non-existent, he said.
“Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (Prime Minister’s rural road programme) which was implemented in villages around New Delhi has greatly improved connectivity to the main city. Once connectivity is established, industrial growth follows,” he said. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar was also present during the event.