Call for new development agenda

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 21. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. A.K. Antony, today stressed the need for a new development agenda to enable Kerala to break away from the past and exploit emerging opportunities for economic growth. He was inaugurating the valedictory function of a seminar on `Hi- Tech City, Trivandrum'.

Mr. Antony said successive Governments and popular movements had failed to evolve a consensus on development and evolve new policies and programmes to suit the State's interests. "We are prisoners of our past. Somewhere down the line, we lost the initiative and adventurism which once helped us forge ahead of other States.''

Mr. Antony said that Keltron, which had once spearheaded the electronics growth in the country, was now struggling to keep itself afloat while Technopark was fighting a losing battle with the neighbouring States in attracting IT investments. He lamented that Kerala had degenerated into an average society.

"With more than 40 lakhs of unemployed youth and no scope for big industries, Kerala has to think of new experiments and new development areas.'' He identified Information Technology and tourism as promising sectors.

Mr. Antony observed that Kerala had fallen behind Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh by several years in the IT sector. He said the IT sector in the State lacked the necessary infrastructure and manpower training facilities. He said the failure to take quick decisions had retarded IT investments in the State. "Corrective measures must start with reforms in the education sector. Universities must take up syllabus revision as a priority,'' he added.

Mr. Antony said Kerala could yet emerge as a hi-tech State if the State addressed itself to infrastructure development and evolved a new development ethos.

Earlier in the day, the Speaker, Mr. M. Vijayakumar, who inaugurated the seminar said the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority had been asked to prepare the blueprint for an IT corridor along the Kazhakoottam- Kovalam bypass. He said the proposal was to identify and develop 1,000 acres of land on this route for IT enterprises.

Mr. Vijayakumar said Kerala was trailing behind other States due to the lack of a development agenda. He said the State's achievements in social development had proved to be unsustainable in the absence of economic growth. Citing Dr. Amartya Sen, he said Kerala could soon be left behind in the social sector also unless it devised new strategies to reorient itself for the challenges ahead.

"Information Technology holds the greatest potential for Kerala. But this calls for a new development agenda with clear priorities for taking IT to the masses without ignoring the benefits of commercialisation.''

Mr. Vijayakumar stressed the development of the transportation and telecommunication sectors in Kerala. He said the construction of a major four-lane road from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram and the doubling and electrification of the rail network would help to solve the transport problems in Kerala.

The seminar was organised by the Trivandrum Residents' Apex Council. The council president, Mr. K.K. Cherian, presided over the function. Experts in the fields of IT, power, communications, housing and town planning presented papers.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Pulse Polio: 27 lakh children given vaccination
Next     : Workshop on improved doctor-patient ties