India's much-celebrated economic growth has not trickled down to the poor who continue to stay deprived of the most fundamental needs - foof, sustainable employment, shelter, health and education, say civil society groups.

Shifting focus from a solely 'industry-oriented' approach to a more integrated 'project-oriented' one could trigger economic inclusion, agreed the attendees at a seminar organised here by the 'Forum for Promoting Inclusive Growth.'

“GDP based growth model is a flawed model. It only helps few rich people,” said Prashant Bhushan, senior Supreme Court lawyer and activist.

Pointing out that two-third ore mined from tribal and forest areas is exported, Bhusan said, “To promote this export-led growth, lands have been taken from poor people without properly compensating them.”

“You can’t take land without the consent of gram sabha. There is a need to rethink by looking at all the important aspect of it,” he added.

Rehabilitation and resettlement need to precede land acquistion for industrial activities, noted agro-economist Krishna R. Chowdry stressed at the seminar. The activists held that the present pace of urbanisation was eating into agricultural land in the country, depriving entire farming communities of their livelihood.

“There is an absolute culture of corporate greed in the country,” said Sujato Bhadro, senior civil rights activist. “In Brazil, Mexico – citizens have right to participate in official policies but in India it is missing,” he added saying that benefits have to be shared with the land owners/users.

The speakers stressed on the need for an alternate development model for the country. The seminar was organised with help from the industrialists interested in gauging the civil society poistion on industry-led development.

The industrialists blamed the government for the sorry state of affair. “The government is not able to check the corruption that’s why we have to shell out 30 to 40 percent of bribe in getting any project,” admitted M Krishna Prasad, secretary, Forum for Promoting Inclusive Growth and an industrialist.

He said that there is a perception and assumption that the state is run by industrialists, which he saidis not true. “Governance is the issue of state not industrialists.”

However, Prasad added that there is need for peaceful inclusive development of the country. “Unless a phased programme of new development policies are formulated and initiated the problem of unemployment and hunger is going to haunt us with even more severity,” he said.