Eco inequality key source of security concerns: Rajnath

Stating that economic disparity is the main cause of law and order and other security issues, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the Centre is focusing on strengthening the manufacturing sector in rural India to address the problem. "Our government is working on removing economic disparity, which is an important reason of law and order as well as security concerns. We have to set up small manufacturing units in rural India. Economy can be strengthened only if manufacturing unit gets a boost," Singh said. He was speaking after the inauguration of the 'Ved Prakash Goyal Room' of the Indian Merchants Chamber(IMC) here. Goyal, the father of Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, was a senior BJP leader and a former minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Pitching for a greater contribution of the rural economy to gross domestic product (GDP), he said the Centre is working towards that goal. He took potshots at those opposed to Swadeshi, saying every economy has its individual fundamental nature in the world of globalisation and liberalisation. He also said IMC has always upheld the Swadeshi concept.

"I want to ask the economists... India has natural and human resources in abundance... still why are we not in the list of developed countries. By copying other economic models, we have undermined our own economy," he added, to justify his position. On price rise, Singh said his government has been able to keep wholesale and consumer price indices in check. "The world economy is in crisis. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India has grown by 48 percent while in other countries, FDI growth is 18 percent less," Rajnath Singh said. The Minister said 99 percent financial inclusion has been achieved under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana while it was around 40 percent in 1969 after bank nationalisation.