Eliminate corruption for nation’s growth: Vice President

Delivering a speech at the 90th year celebrations of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Coimbatore, he described corruption as cancer that grows and consumes our lives. “A nation will develop only if corruption is eliminated,” he said. 

Stating that Tamil Nadu is in the forefront of industrialisation, the Vice President said that to spur growth, the state has to improve in its infrastructure, resource efficiency and promote innovative technologies. Calling for equity in wealth distribution, the Vice President said that the Union government’s initiatives such as Jan-Dhan Yojana are aimed at empowering the poor and end their financial inclusion. 

Urging the industries to extend CSR efforts to help the farming community to double their income by 2022, a vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that agriculture and industry are like the two eyes of a nation. “India is at the threshold of becoming one of the major economic powers and the private sector should play a major role in accelerating its growth and development,” he said.

He pointed out that India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. If this trend and momentum continues, the nation is poised to become the largest economy in the next 10-15 years.

The IMF has forecast that India would grow at more than 7 per cent in 2018 and 2019, ahead of other major economies, he added.

Further, he said that demonetisation and introduction of GST, though faced teething problems in the initial stages of implementation, the landmark initiatives have ensured transparency, eliminated parallel economy and fetched increased revenue to the exchequer. Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani, Chairman of Coir-Board CP Radhakrishnan, representatives of industrial bodies and district administration officials took part in the event.