President Patil calls for ensuring equitable growth

President Pratibha Patil today called for ensuring equitable growth for all and said that the full benefit of economic liberalization must reach people belonging to all levels of the society.

New Delhi, Aug 14 : President Pratibha Patil today called for ensuring equitable growth for all and said that the full benefit of economic liberalization must reach people belonging to all levels of the society.

In her first address to the nation after becoming India's 13th and first woman President, Patil said: "Growth, when unevenly spread, dwarfs overall prosperity. Only through socially inclusive growth can there be sustained consistency in our growth rates."

Stating that the sixty years of Independence has given an opportunity to introspect on the progress achieved so far, Patil said: "We have excelled in many areas; and in many others we still have immense scope for improvement."

"Empowerment of our economically deprived section of the society still remains unaccomplished," she added.

Calling for elimination of poverty from the country and contribute to build a strong and resurgent India, Patil said: "Our endeavour should be to stamp out the imperfections and entrench democratic decentralization to ensure participative decision-making of the people in the planning process at the grass-root level to build a more vibrant India."

She said that countrymen should help in making the entire nation into a "strong, unassailable unity", and called for pursuing the path of collective vision to make India and its people great.

"The more developed amongst us should inspire and enthuse the less developed to race ahead on the road to development. We must strive to maximize our collective performance so as to build a nation of equal opportunities," she said.

Patil also laid emphasis on the agricultural sector of the country and urged countrymen to take forward the momentum of the first Green Revolution, and also analyze the challenges faced by the sector in present years.

"In the coming years we need to ensure that agriculture becomes more rewarding with formulation of appropriate policies, measures and technologies," she said.

Patil also stressed on the need for creating more opportunities for women in the country and their wholesome participation in every field of activity to make them "harbingers of sustainable development".

"History bears sufficient proof that our womenfolk have excelled themselves not only as able home-makers but in devoting themselves to the noble task of nation building. Let us resolve that they are not left marginalized in our society," she urged.

ANI