The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today called for speeding up economic growth and creation of more job opportunities. He said, the country has not been able to create a conducive environment for achieving rapid economic growth because of lack of political consensus on many issues. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 66th Independence Day, Dr. Singh cautioned that if the economic growth is not increased, it certainly affects development. He added that new investments should be encouraged and livelihood security of the common man and energy security should be ensured. He said that issues hampering development processes should be viewed as matters of national security.
Expressing hope that the country will achieve more that 6.5 per cent economic growth rate, Dr. Singh said that he believed the period of difficulties would not last long. The Prime Minister said that despite many challenges, the country has achieved extraordinary successes in many areas in the last 8 years and these successes need to be replicated in newer areas.
Citing a bad monsoon this year, the Prime Minister said that several measures have been taken to deal with the situation.
Reiterating that the Government will continue its efforts to bring more transparency and accountability in the work of public servants to reduce corruption, Dr. Singh sought the help of all political parties in passing the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bills in Parliament.
During his 35-minute speech in Hindi, Dr Singh made a host of announcements like expanding the National Health Scheme and electrification, undertaking skill development and assessment of teachers.
The Prime Minister said that after the success of the National Rural Health Mission, NRHM , the government will expand it to urban areas also. The scheme will be converted into a National Health Mission to cover all the villages and towns in the country. He said, the government is also formulating a scheme for distribution of free medicines through government hospitals and health centres.
He said more than 51,000 new schools have been opened in the country and about 7 lakh teachers appointed in them in just the last 2 years. Dr. Singh said that now focus will be on improving the quality of education and in the next few months, a system of continuous assessment of the benefit, that the children are getting from teaching, will be put in place.
Dr. Singh said that it is his Government's endeavour to ensure that banking services reach out to all households in the country in the next two years.
He said that government will make the 15-points programme for minorities more effective and the Multi-Sectoral Development Programme being implemented in districts with large minority populations, will be expanded.
The Prime Minister said the Government has initiated new development schemes for areas affected by Naxal violence to address the grievances of the people. Dr. Singh however asserted that communal harmony has to be maintained at all costs. He said there has been a reduction in violence in the North-Eastern states and Government is engaged in dialogue with groups to make them join the mainstream. Talking of successes in the areas of internal security, the Prime Minister reminded that people in Jammu and Kashmir have participated in large numbers in the Panchayat elections.
Congratulating the scientists on the successful launch of Agni-5 ballistic missile and RISAT-1 satellite, Dr. Singh said that the country will soon undertake a mission to the red planet, Mars.
Earlier, the Prime Minister took a salute of the combined tri-Services and Central Forces and unfurled the National Flag. He also visited the Rajghat and paid tributes to the Father of the Nation.
