Sound economy key to internal security, says official

Dec 12, 2007, 17:55 GMT

Bhopal, Dec 12 (IANS) Sound economy holds the key to internal security besides helping solve many problems, Deputy National Security Adviser and former defence secretary Shekhar Dutta said here Wednesday.

Delivering a lecture at the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) headquarters, he stressed the need for special attention to strengthen rural economy and development in a country like India.

Calling for preparation of action plans with coordination between beneficiaries, planners and the administrative machinery ahead of developmental projects, Dutta said, 'Any disregard to the requirements and role of the beneficiaries in operation of projects is likely to lead to law and order problems in the concerned area.'

Highlighting the role of agrarian economy and agricultural production in internal security, he said that despite expansion of irrigation resources over the decades the agricultural production per hectare was less in the country compared to Southeast Asian countries.

'There is need for such land and water management as would facilitate irrigation in a large area through conservation of available water as per minimum requirement of the crops,' he said.

Dutta said the total irrigation potential of the country from different sources was 60 million hectare and the contribution of Madhya Pradesh was only 2 million hectares, which should be increased.

'Efficient land and water management should be ensured through public participation to increase the irrigation potential of completed and ongoing NVDA projects to 1,156,000 hectares,' Dutta said.

Internal security has improved where irrigation water management was done efficiently giving priority to the needs of beneficiaries, he said, adding that such places have registered fast decrease in the crime rate.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service