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President A P J Abdul Kalam on Monday favoured innovation in adopting plans for growth in rural areas.
"Repeating what we are doing for several decades with more of the same, may not be the way to proceed further. We need innovation and transparent performance in our action," Kalam said during his inaugural address at the National Summit of Rural Non-Government Organisations of India.
The President said the term NGO had a negative connotation to it. He suggested that such organisations be referred to as 'societal transformers'.
Asserting the need to make NGOs and village authorities more accountable, he said connectivity of village complexes providing economic opportunities to all segments of people was an urgent need to bridge the rural-urban divide, generate employment and enhance rural prosperity.
The president asked the government to double grants-in-aid to Centre for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology to Rs 10,000 crore annually and maintain continuity in management structure of rural development bodies for at least five years, irrespective of regime change.