Kerala on fast-pace growth track: Chandy

Observing that Kerala has been emerging as a fast growing state in the country, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said areas like agriculture and infrastructure required greater attention in coming days.

Thiruvananthapuram: Observing that Kerala has been emerging as a fast growing state in the country, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Saturday said still there are some vital areas like agriculture and infrastructure development that required greater attention in the coming days. In recent years, Kerala had been able to achieve a faster growth rate than the national average. "A quarter century back the growth rate was a mere two per cent, which rose steeply to 10.06 per cent by 2005-06. In 2011-12, Kerala had been able to achieve an enviable growth rate of 9.5 per cent," he said.

The time has now come that Kerala should tap its potential in farm sector by adopting modern agricultural methods, he said in his address at the 64th Republic Day celebrations at the Central Stadium here. "A faster growing Kerala in a fast growing India is our dream... I firmly believe that financial constraints in the way of achieving this goal could be overcome by determination," Chandy said. The Chief Minister unfurled the national flag and inspected an impressive parade of contingents of defence forces, police, paramilitary forces, NCC, scouts and guides. Maintaining that welfare of the needy was as important as economic development, Chandy said the UDF government would distribute three cents of land each to one lakh landless families acorss the state before August 15. Referring to nationwide concern over security of women, he said their safety and security was not just the responsibility of the government alone but that of the entire society. "We should respect women present in all spheres of the public domain. We had such a lofty tradition. It is time to introspect when and how we lost this tradition," he said. PTI