India facing poverty, unemployment due to wrong governance: Nitin Gadkari

Bangalore, Jun 24 (PTI)

Observing that politics should be an instrument for socio-economic transformation, BJP president Nitin Gadkari today said that India was facing poverty and unemployment due to "wrong governance".

"India is a rich nation full of poor people. The country is facing challenges of unemployment and poverty owing to wrong economic policy and wrong governance," he said.

Delivering his address at the 94th Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Gadkari also stressed the need for "development-oriented" approach to politics.

"We need a development-oriented approach to politics, aimed at development in different levels," he said, adding that this could be done through constructive thinking, fast track decision making, transparency, auditing and accountability and acceleration of the system in the right direction.

The BJP president said that the focus of development should be on agriculture and its allied industries and called for the promotion of PPP model to encourage private entrepreneurs to participate in development projects.

Gadkari also called for an "integrated approach" to development which included elements of both "progress and concern for the environment."

"Above all, the need of the hour is a good economic policy and a strong political will to execute it," he said.