Tribune News ServiceShimla, December 23
Emphasising that an accelerated development of individual states was the key to building a prosperous nation, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today outlined nine integrated missions to propel Himachal Pradesh into the forefront of Indian economy and make the state globally noticed.
The first ever address by any President in the Vidhan Sabha was no routine speech. It was a scholarly presentation by the scientist President, complete with facts, figures and a well-defined roadmap to make Himachal Pradesh a developed state by 2015. Aptly titled “Himachal Pradesh - Missions for Prosperity”, the paper provided a peep into the scientific mind of Dr Kalam and gave a fair idea of his concern to put India in the league of developed countries.
“With abundant natural resources, a wide climatic spectrum, biodiversity and hard-working people, the state can aspire to become a Switzerland in economic growth and environmental and infrastructural upgradation. Innovative policies, confidence, essential infrastructure and deployment of funds with a commercial focus is all that needed to realise the dream” he said sounding an optimistic note.
However, he stressed that if the country had to become a world leader, it would have to be global in outlook and operations. It was, thus, imperative that the states also strived to be globally competitive. It was necessary to arm those who manufactured products and provided services within the state with a special commercial tool required in the modern competitive business — to have its own “brand Himachal” — which could win in India and in the world.
Being an ecologically fragile hill state, the strategy should be to concentrate on “low-volume-high-cost” products. The state had to be selective in promoting industries to ensure that development was not achieved at the cost of environment. Electronics, information technology, along with herbiculture, tourism and hydroelectric power were the main areas on which the state should focus.
The emphasis should be on value addition. Be it the agriculture sector, horticulture or textiles. Besides food processing facilities, a
mechanism was required for creating central storage and testing facilities for the farmers at key locations so that they could directly export their products.
The state could be a much sought-after outsourcing BPO destination for big companies in India and abroad. A major mission for the state could be collaborative development and production of value-added products like cell phones and other mobile devices, portable computers and multimedia personal computers and smart cards for telephones and ID cards.
With its unique “tourist-selling propositions” the state could set an ambitious target of doubling the inflow of Indian tourists from the existing 5.50 million to 10 million and that of foreign visitors from 1.17 lakh to one million.
The state should also aim at emerging as a preferred destination for health tourism. Necessary infrastructure would have to be developed through the cooperation of the corporate hospitals so that state-of-the-art facilities were created.
Underlining the need for water harvesting and water recycling, Dr Kalam said the focus should shift from “flood and fear” management to water management. Water harvesting should be mandatory for every village and reservoirs should be created at multiple levels. It would also prevent flash-floods and help check soil erosion. In fact, with its vast perennial snow deposits, the state could supply mineral water to other states.
Referring to the problem of garbage disposal, the President said technology was now available to generate power from municipal waste. Already two plants, each of 6.50 MW, which used garbage bricks as fuel, were in operation in the country. Himachal Pradesh could follow suit.
Unlike many other states the hill state had many positive features like a literacy rate of over 77 per cent, a good road network, electricity and potable water and other amenities in all villages. He said the gains should be consolidated by involving school and college students in the adult literacy programme and empowering the citizens with quality vocational skills.
To provide health care, he spelt out a unique insurance scheme under which a citizen would be required to pay Rs 5 per month and the government would also contribute a matching amount, generating a consolidated health fund of Rs 72 crore annually. It would enable the citizens to get treatment at high-tech hospitals.
Later, Dr Kalam had lunch with ministers and legislators at Peterhof, state guesthouse. He left for New Delhi by a helicopter in the afternoon.
