January 10, 2002
‘7’
CONVERGENCE OF INDIAN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES
Information and communication technologies have revolutionized the traditional way of doing business. This was stated by the Member Secretary, Law Commission of India, Shri T.K. Viswanathan while addressing the inaugural function of a two-day National Foundation of Indian Engineers (NAFEN’s) 15th International Conference and Exhibition on Convergence and Integration of Indian Infrastructure for Financing Opportunities here today. The Conference was inaugurated by the former Prime Minister Shri Inder Kumar Gujral.
Talking of convergence of information technology, infrastructure and socio-economic development, Shri Viswanathan said that if India could put in place quickly a strong communication infrastructure backed by a robust legal regime it would enable us to exploit the benefits of the digital revolution , which would generate employment. It could facilitate people in our rural areas to earn their livelihood. If India failed to do that, it would miss this opportunity also just as it missed the industrial revolution and history would judge us harshly.
The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who also spoke on the occasion, said that convergence of infrastructure with social and economic development was the need of the hour.
The Member, Planning Commission, Shri N.K. Singh, in his keynote address dwelt at length on synergy between the development of infrastructure and economy and said that the forthcoming Tenth Five Year Plan would provide focused attention to the development of infrastructure at an affordable cost. He also spoke on the emerging area of regulatory regime with the globalization shaping up and the gradual shedding of power by the Government.
The former Prime Minister Shri I.K. Gujral called for a balanced growth of the nation so that the dividing fine between rich and backward India was reduced and a synergy between infrastructural development, elimination of illiteracy and soci-economic growth developed. In this connection, Shri Gujral said that terrorism had struck the areas where there was no infrastructure of railway lines and highways. He gave a call for addressing the dissatisfaction of the people.