Good governance is key to progress: PC

8216;8216;There has not been any churning of the ranks of states in terms of overall development,8217;8217; he noted and added that states which were doing well continued to do so while laggards continued to remain at the bottom of the ladder. But Chidambaram did state that some churning was taking place in infrastructure development in backward states.

He said the government was willing to provide more funds to the backward states to enable them climb the ladder but for that the delivery system should improve. He said that states which have been denied the opportunities have remained behind.

8216;8216;The divide is widening and we must find some way to bridge the gap,8217;8217; Chidambaram said.

He pointed out that despite having the best doctors, the country was unable to provide decent healthcare to sizeable portion of its population.

Likewise, the country produced the best teachers yet half of the children dropped out of schools, he added.

In the political arena also, the country could boast of renowned leaders and yet there was lack of governance.