Growth versus Development................................ well it really is a pleasant sight to see the GDP growth rate at something like 8.8 % for the last quarter, more so after the effects of the global meltdown when growth decelerated. seeing the economy growing again is obviously nice but there is more to the story than what meets the eye...we don't have to move that far to see what i am trying to convey..let's just go to the post reform peri0d, 1991-2003. during this phase both the agriculture and industrial sector saw decline in growth rates but mostly because of the boom in the services sector( where outsourcing did play a good part) the overall growth rate exceeded the last decade by a mere 0.8%. there was growth but not development as the major chunk of the national work force still depends on the other two sectors for their livelihood and survival and some may even go as far as to say that the reforms intensified the socio-economic inequality that has plagued the nation since the inception of the colonial rule in india. the trend continues to this date when agriculture sector witnesses a negative or nominal growth and industry inspite of the reforms does not grow at the pace desired of it. lot has to be done for the infrastructure building. roads are being built, dams are being made and that's all true and maybe all we need is a little patience, still neglect of agriculture will take us nowhere. I just wish never again we let our grains rot for want of proper storage, and instead of union ministry for agriculture concentrating on CRICKET they take immediate steps to rein in inflation. 70000 crores on CWG 2010 and 66,000 crores on rural development, well it really is growth v/s development Isn't it???.... amrendra 24-10-10