President Pranab Mukherjee address a joint session on the first day of the Budget Session Monday Feb 23,2015

President Pranab Mukherjee arrives at the Parliament House in his buggy to address a joint session on the first day of the Budget Session

President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday listed inclusive growth as the top priority of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and said the regime would take care of the problem of unemployment. 

“Inclusive growth covering the poorest of poor is the government’s priority,” the President said

The President hinted that the Centre wanted to seek a consensus on passing the land ordinance. 

“Protecting the interest of farmers, their right to fair compensation, rehabilitation and financial compensation has been refined,” he said, adding: “Land acquisition is required for critical public projects like rural hospitals and schools.” 

According to the President, the government was streamlining scholarship schemes for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the minorities to ensure they received disbursements in time. 

The government, he said, was committed to create jobs, and bring transparency and accountability in the enforcement of labour laws. 

The President highlighted that the government had taken several initiatives including smart cities, skill development, ease of doing business and tapping the country's demographic dividend. 

“The fundamental tenet is ‘Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas,” the President said. 

He pointed out that the Centre is emphasising on clean energy and aims to take up the share of clean energy up to 15 per cent in the next seven years. He also spoke about the potential in the tourism sector. 

“A new tourism policy is on the anvil,” the President said, adding that tourist visa-on-arrival facility has been expanded to 44 countries. 

The President said the government was committed to promote cooperative federalism and end financial “untouchability” to enhance the ease of doing business. 

On the need of “tapping the demographic dividend”, he said the government has initiated measures “to stimulate action in a range of fields, from sanitation to smart cities, poverty elimination to creation of wealth” containing inflation and stimulate economy.