Agriculture can play a major role in generating adequate rural employment, according to Thulasi Maddineni, Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat.
Speaking at the 33rd Foundation Day ceremony of Nabard at the Bankers’ Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) in Mangalore, she said that agriculture needs to be made an attractive proposition for the youth. Only through agriculture, adequate rural employment could be generated and productivity in agriculture could be improved.
Stating that appropriate orientation and training will influence the youth in this direction, she said India cannot be developed without rural development. Further she stated that while the presence of infrastructure will not guarantee development, the absence of infrastructure would definitely lead to underdevelopment.
Highlighting the achievements of Nabard since its inception, R Venkataswamy, Joint Director of BIRD, Mangalore, gave a detailed account of the credit/refinance support provided, the development initiatives taken and the supervisory role played by the organisation.
He also highlighted the contribution of the BIRD at Mangalore for the last 29 years and the performance of the institute during 2013-14.
The BIRD-Mangalore has trained more than 48,000 officials from different financial institutions in its 29 years of existence, he said.