This refers to Barun Roy's column "India's growth debate" (Asia File, June 26). The column crisply takes stock of the linkages to be taken care of while a country plans to move aggressively towards growth, opting primarily for the rapid industrialisation route. More of such debates will save policymakers from losing sight of possible pitfalls and help avoid hurdles that are usual when diversions are taken.
While conceding that a short essay cannot be expected to cover all aspects of growth, taking the debate forward, one is tempted to add the conservation and overhaul of the available infrastructure, moving towards a higher literacy level, better and affordable healthcare facilities for all and improvement in the prescription and monitoring of minimum living wages across sectors as priorities that should be woven into any fabric of overall growth.
As public-private partnership becomes a reality, the responsibility of ensuring social security, universal healthcare and a self-regulatory mechanism to ensure minimum living wages for all workers dependent on an industry or service also will have to be shared by those who own or provide such industry or service. So far, this aspect has been considered as the sacred duty of the government or the taxpayer.
M G Warrier, Mumbai
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