Socio Research & Reform Foundation

After the collapse of a building at Lalitha Park which resulted in tragic death of 59 persons, Delhi Government had come out with the mandatory requirement of producing a Structural Safety Certificate while registering any property deal. The Government felt considering large number of property deals are registered on a regular basis (one estimate is of 500-600), this way a large number of properties could be made safe.

However the MCD has had to withdraw the order, on the ground that it does not have sufficient number of engineers to issue structural safety certificates.

This turnout of events once again proves that the government often acts without proper planning. Government should have known that internally it does not have sufficient capacities to issue such large number of certificates and hence could have associated with concerned engineering associations, who would have taken steps to build the capacities of their members. These Associations would have been quite happy to be involved in such a programme, since it would have generated additional resources for its members and in turn would have made buildings in the capital complying with Structural Safety norms.

However the real issue, ‘Making Buildings Structurally Safe’ still remains. One wonders how the Government now plans to ensure the safety of these buildings, or perhaps Delhites will have to wait yet again for another tragic episode for the Government to initiate action.

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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

India moving fast towards growing economy

There is some good news on economic front among the prevailing drift and
apparent lack of governance in the country. Despite bumbling on several
political fronts the government is likely to make the country as the world’s
fastest growing economy and become the largest economy of the world by 2050 (see
the Table below). This assessment is made by financial services group Citi on
Global Growth Generators. The reasons behind growing Indian economy are India’s
economic fundamentals remained strong, high savings, high investment rate, the
arrival of home-grown companies in the global world and foreign direct
investment.    

This prediction is based on Purchasing Power Parity rather than exchange rates.
It also predicts that the country is likely to grow at 6.4% annually over the
40-year period between 2010 and 2050. India is likely to take over Japan by
2015, it would surpass US by 2040.

India’s major assets which will help achieve the above are its demography (large
young population), high saving rate, and education system. India’s population of
working age is expected to grow by 40.7% between 2010 and 2050.

However the big rider is that all this would depend upon India’s ability to
create large number of productive jobs, improve its agriculture sector which
constitutes of large population and where production remains quite inefficient.

Other areas where India needs to improvise are its infrastructure, think
positive towards FDI, ensure that its working population is educated and trained
well.

Top 10 Economies of the World            (In trillion 2010 USD)

Socio Research & Reform Foundation

(A Non Government Organisation)

512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008

Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044

e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in