The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today exuded confidence that this year country's growth rate will exceed 6.5 percent, but feels that growth is getting hampered due to lack of political consensus.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 66th Independence Day, Dr. Singh asserted that issues affecting the development processes should be viewed as matters of national security. The Prime Minister cautioned that if steps are not taken to increase the pace of economic growth and attract investments for the benefit of the common man, it will affect the national security.
Talking about transparency and accountability in the Government, Dr. Singh expressed hope that all political parties will support the Government in passing the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill in the Rajya Sabha. 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 said that this should not affect decision making and slow down the discharge of duties by public functionaries for the fear of baseless allegations.

Calling violence in Assam unfortunate, the Prime Minister said that the Government will make every effort to understand the reasons behind the violence and work hard with the State Government to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in any part of the country.Dr. Singh however asserted that communal harmony has to be maintained at all costs.

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. Recalling the recent blasts in Pune Dr. Singh said these threats pointed to the need for much more work to be done in the area of national security. 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. Stating that Naxalism is still a serious problem, the Prime Minister said his Government has initiated new schemes of development in areas affected by Naxal violence to address the grievances of the people.

Citing a bad monsoon this year, the Prime Minister assured that several measures have been taken to deal with the situation. He said that the seed subsidy has been enhaced and funds available under the Central Scheme for fodder have been increased.

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. Revealing the plans the Prime Minister said the Government wants to create a system in which money from Government schemes like pension for old people, scholarships for students and wages for labourers can be credited directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts.

Promising his Government's resolve to create more job opprtunities for the youth, trhe Prime Minister announced setting up of a National Skill Development Authority for imparting skills to eight crore people over the next five years.

The Prime Minister said that the Government will soon launch the Rajiv Housing Loan Scheme in urban areas to provide housing for economically weaker sections and giving them relief on interest for housing loans of less than five lakh rupees.

Dr.Singh said that after the success of the National Rural Health Mission, the government wants to expand the scope of health services in towns also. NRHM will be converted into a National Health Mission in all villages and towns in the country. He said, the government is also formulating a scheme for distribution of free medecines through govt hospitals and health centres.

On education, Dr. Singh said it has been made mandatory by law and the focus is on improving the quality of education.

He said malnutrition in children is a big challenge for the nation. The Prime Minister said the Integrated Child Development Scheme is being made more effective in the next two months.

On the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women and other weaker sections the Prime Minister said that the special needs of tribal and backward districts are being met through programmes such as the Integrated Action Plan, Backward Regions Grant Fund and Tribal Sub Plan. He said the Government is formualting a scheme to ensure that people belonging to Scehduled Tribes can get fair and remunerative prices for the forest produce. Dr. Singh asserted the Government wants to speedily convert the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill into a legislation.

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.

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.

Reassuring that the Government will continue to work for modernizing the Defence Forces, the Prime Minister informed that the Government has set up a committee to look into the grievances of Armed Forces personnel regarding their Pay and Pension. He said that prompt will be taken as soon as the committee submits its recommendations.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.