‘Region-based approach can solve disparities’

Former President APJ Abdul Kalam on Tuesday came up with an innovative proposal to reduce disparities...

Former President APJ Abdul Kalam on Tuesday came up with an innovative proposal to reduce disparities between states, suggesting a region-based approach. Pointing out that India had 28 multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural states, he said developments and solutions of problems had to be “region-based”.

Speaking at the fourth international conference on federalism here, Kalam called for quality leadership and pooling of knowledge and infrastructure between states. This was the way to achieve non-linear growth and reduce disparities, the former President added.

Emphasising that working unitedly was the need of the hour, he said states could work together on common issues for sustainable growth. A regional approach could ensure equal growth, he said.

On federalism, Kalam said a federal economy should look at bridging the rural-urban divide. Rural areas had come in for attention during his tenure as President when he advocated his plan for Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA).

He maintained that India needed quality leaders with a shared vision and the ability to take real-time decisions.

In his inaugural address, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called on delegates to discuss different models of governance, including a single-party model and a multi-party system, and decide which one suited a federal structure the most.