Andhra may miss human development goals: Survey

Though grouped with performing states in terms of fiscal reforms and public infrastructure, Andhra Pradesh has little chances of achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) on human development going by the present growth pace, according to a survey conducted by the Hyderabad-based Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS).

Speaking at a seminar held here on Tuesday to mark the completion of 10 years of the launch of Vartha, a Telugu daily, Mahendra Dev, director of CESS, said their recent survey based on secondary data showed that only four out of the 14 development indicators set as MDGs could be achieved in rural Andhra by the targeted year 2015.

"Though bureaucrats disagree with the results of our survey, it is very much true if the present growth rate of the state continues to be the same in future," he said.

However, when it comes to urban areas, the survey suggested a better scenario with 10 of the 14 indicators expected to be achieved by 2015. "This only shows the deep urban-rural divide existing in the state, which already has other problems to worry about such as regional and caste disparities," he said.

He said a drastic improvement in investments on education and healthcare would help the state achieve the human development goals.

Andhra ranks 26th in education and 23rd in healthcare among the Indian states. Interventions like enhancing investments on public infrastructure, expansion of investment credit to SMEs, devolution of power and funds to panchayat raj bodies, besides efforts on achieving equitable development of all the regions and among all the section of population would change the course of development of the state, he said.