Dibrugarh (Assam), Oct 11: Defence Minister George Fernandes said today China is far ahead of India in economic growth only because of its better work culture and called for efforts to make India the world's leading country by 2017 AD. Comparing the economic conditions of China and India, Fernandes said, ''Our country is also faced with similar problems but due to our lack of discipline, poor work culture and corruption, the nation is ailing in all sectors''.
Addressing an NCC cadets camp here the Defence Minister said China had only 61 holidays in a year and the country is ''much ahead of us in economic growth only due to its work culture''.
''During my last visit to China, I asked their Prime Minister about the problems faced by that country and he replied that there are four crore unemployed youths, regional imbalances in industrial growth and peasants are getting poorer but their economic growth is moving up due to collective labour."
Referring to the north-east, the minister said the region had been and neglected since independence.
''No one can deny north east India has been deprived and neglected for years since independence despite her rich cultural and natural resources,” he said.
The minister also paid tributes to the martyrs of Kargil war several of whom were from the north-east.
Bureau Report