Viksit Bharat or a developed India would not be defined by the rank the Indian economy holds, but an eightfold increase in incomes is required to make it a reality, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said Thursday.
Speaking to the media after paying tribute to late former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary at his memorial, Kisan Ghat, Dhankhar said: “Today, it is necessary that when we talk about Viksit Bharat, it does not mean the rank at which our economy is. To define Viksit Bharat and make it a ground reality, each person’s income has to be increased by eight times. This will happen, but farmers will have to be farsighted”.
The Vice-President added that farmers today were limited to production, but should now become involved with trades based on agriculture and animal husbandry. He said the food processing industry was dependent on agricultural production. He said farmers should work on the value addition of agricultural products.
He recalled the contribution of Chaudhary Charan Singh towards farmers.
The V-P’s comments come just days after NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam said India was the fourth-largest economy in the world, with International Monetary Fund (IMF) data showing it as a $4 trillion economy, behind the United States, China, and Germany.
Reacting to the V-P’s statement, Congress general secretary in charge of communications and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said on X that Dhankhar’s “wise words on Viksit Bharat are very timely and appropriate”.
“He should be listened to seriously by those throwing out slogans and filmi dialogues thinking that theatrics is governance. Sadly, he continues to be ignored when he raises concerns of farmers – which he himself is,” Ramesh added.