Date:30/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/30/stories/2004083011660300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Provide employment to rural people: Venkataraman

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, AUG. 29. Rural poverty can be reduced only by providing secondary and tertiary employment means for the rural population, former President, R. Venkataraman, said on Sunday.

Participating in the golden jubilee celebrations of The Mylapore Academy, Mr. Venkataraman said spending money on land, mechanisation and other means could not ameliorate rural poverty.

Noting that 70 per cent of the country's population remained in village, Mr. Venkataraman said the only solution to rural poverty was to take at least 20 per cent of this segment and provide them secondary and tertiary employment in the industrial or commercial sectors. The real reason for rural poverty was the inability of the land to bear the burden of the population, he noted.

Focus on agriculture

Observing that there was now a landslide opinion in favour of agricultural development and rural improvement, the former President said this phenomenon occurred only in the wake of elections.

Mr. Venkataraman later presented a memento to S. Balasubramanian, Executive Director, City Union Bank which had completed 100 years of banking service.

In his presidential address, the Governor, P. S. Ramamohan Rao, said his grievance against the country's social welfare programmes was that they were made to appear as charity without requiring anything in return.

In spite of over 50 years of running social welfare programmes, between 27 and 30 per cent of the country's population still lived below the poverty line, he said. Mr. Ramamohan Rao appealed to all graduates of Madras University to contribute to the renovation of the Senate House and the building proper.

The Hindu honoured

The Governor later honoured `The Hindu' for completing 125 years in journalism by presenting a memento to N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper.

S. Jagadeesan, Chairman, Intellectual Property Rights Appellate Board, handed over a cheque for Rs. 3 lakhs to the varsity's Vice Chancellor, S. P. Thiyagarajan for renovation of the Senate House.

The Governor also released a golden jubilee souvenir of the Academy.

The Governor and former President also distributed awards instituted by the Mylapore Academy to meritorious institutions and individuals. C. S. Veeraghavan, Honorary Secretary, the Mylapore Academy, Sarojini Varadappan, Chairperson, S. Krishnamoorthy, Treasurer, T. D. Sadasivam, Secretary and R. Seshasayee, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland spoke.