ITANAGAR, Sept 27 - To address the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation to the Commonwealth countries, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Pasang Dorjee Sona has suggested framing of comprehensive policies that guarantee access to necessary public amenities by people living in rural areas for improvement of their socio-economic condition.
�We should take development to the doorsteps of the rural masses. Once development comes in, this will offer job opportunities and also improve the socio-economic condition of our rural masses. Perhaps this will also lower the tendency of movement from rural areas to urban centres,� Dorjee Sona said.
The Arunachal Speaker was taking part in a discussion on the topic, �Combating rapid urbanisation and rural decline� as part of the ongoing 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Munyonyo, Kampala, in Uganda today.
Dorjee Sona spoke at length on the topic with reference to the issues faced by Arunachal Pradesh in particular, and India and the Commonwealth nations in general.
Expressing grave concern over the rapid migration of people from rural to urban areas globally, Dorjee Sona said that the migration scene is universal all over the world. Stating that the cause of mass exodus of people from the countryside to the urban centres is the want of basic amenities, he said that most rural areas in the Commonwealth nations are not fully equipped and lack employment, cultural and social opportunities.
Due to absence of big, medium or small-scale industries and also due to social and economic pressure, people from the backward areas start moving towards urban centres in search of jobs, where newly established industries and ancillary activities continuously offer means of livelihood to people migrating to the cities, the Arunachal Speaker pointed out.
Dorjee Sona underlined a few areas which can be developed such as setting up of small, medium and big industries, adequate number of schools, colleges, engineering colleges, hotel management institutions, skill and vocational development institutions, and hospitals with modern facilities. Rail and road network, airways, etc., can be given due importance and the high revenue earning tourism sector should be encouraged in a major way, the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker maintained.
