FOCUS ON PRIMARY SECTOR
Focus on primary sector*
Apropos
Mythili Bhusnurmath’s excellent article “Cart Before the Horse?” (Economic
Times, May 2, 2016), one wishes policy makers patiently reads the article to
the end, where the quote from Dr Manmohan Singh in which the need for focus on
primary sector is beautifully woven in the economist’s language: “Economic
policy should address hunger, literacy, employment, infrastructure and growth
in that order”.
Post
LPG (liberalisation-Privatisation-Globalisation) India is measuring growth and
celebrating achievements in terms of private sector profits, height of towers
built, growth in sectors like IT, banking and transport and possible inflow of
FDI. All these will shine in contrast,
till things get better outside. RBI Governor was criticised for saying this in
a different way. But, let us concede, if we neglect primary sector, sustainable
growth and development are impossible.
One
need not worry too much about the per capita wealth of Indian as compared to
his friends elsewhere. Luckily, unlike in countries like China, unaccounted
wealth of India must be a decent multiple of the country’s GDP.
M G WARRIER,
Mumbai
*A slightly edited version published in ET on May 3, 2016
*A slightly edited version published in ET on May 3, 2016
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