The Finance Minister has in the Budget for 2008-09 proposed to extend the national employment guarantee programme to all 596 rural districts of India. This is a welcome initiative, the proper implementation of which will contribute significantly to more inclusive growth. It is through employment and through capacity for earning some money that an individual can come to the mainstream of economic life. Employment generates income and provides purchasing power. At present, t here is lot of unemployment in agricultural sector and these unemployed people have no purchasing power. Although the share of agriculture in GDP is just 18 per cent, agriculture has of necessity bear the burden of 58.6 per cent of Indian population. In other words 58.6 per cent of our population is dependant on agriculture for livelihood. The surplus manpower available in farm sector has to be gainfully employed elsewhere. The employment guarantee programme sought to be implemented in all rural disrticts will help provide employment to the surplus manpower mentioned earlier.

K.K. Ammannaya, Ex-senior executive of Syndicate Bank.

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