Karnataka - Mysore

‘Infrastructure plans should envisage future requirements’

FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE: The Former Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India, Zafar Saifullah, inaugurating a national seminar on ‘Urban planning and infrastructure’ in Mysore on Saturday.

MYSORE: Speakers at a two-day seminar on “Urban Planning and Infrastructure”, which began here on Saturday, said that infrastructure plans should envisage future requirements to sustain growth.

The seminar was organised as part of Build Tech 2007 by the Builders’ Association of India, Mysore chapter.

In his inaugural address, Zafar Saifullah, the former Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India, said that infrastructure was the catalyst for growth, hence focus should be ahead of the current demand to achieve growth.

The present infrastructure in the country should have actually been conceptualised 60 years ago, he said and wondered whether the infrastructure being created now would meet future requirements.

Citing examples, he said that the Narita International Airport in Tokyo, conceptualised in the 1960s, continued to meet the present requirements.

In contrast, the international airports at Mumbai and Delhi were being upgraded now, though plans were in the pipeline for 15 years.

He said Indian infrastructure was appalling when compared to that of developed countries.

However, there was a flurry of activity on the infrastructure front in the last two years.

According to Mr. Saifullah, the country’s technical expertise was never in doubt. However, there was a decline in the calibre and workmanship in recent times.

In this context, he said that the Builders’ Association should take the initiative to train workers at the grassroots level to upgrade their skills to maintain the “technical edge” in the construction sector.

K.V. Rangaswami, executive president, Larsen & Toubro, said that there was an urgent need to cope with technological growth and infrastructure requirements.

Pointing out that infrastructure held the key to sustained growth, Mr. Rangaswami said even rural areas were transforming themselves into clusters of growth.

He called for integration of urban requirements with rural imperatives by providing urban amenities in rural areas which, he said, was high on the agenda of the former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He said that rural infrastructure was more important as it provided link to the market and helped transform rural agrarian economy to semi-urban growth centre with a cluster of economic activities.

Subject experts and resource persons from industry will deliberate on key issues pertaining to infrastructure during the seminar.

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