President APJ Abdul Kalam yesterday asked the World Bank to assist India in its rural development in a big way for uplifting 700 million people living in villages. | |
| "It would be appropriate as a next step of development financing that the World Bank can become a partner in enabling NGOs and the corporate sector for undertaking development of viable clusters of villages for their sustainable development in a big way," Kalam said, inaugurating the 'country-level development marketplace' organised by the World Bank here. |
| |
| He said an outlay of $20-40 million was required for development of each of the rural clusters. |
| |
| "Such investment, besides providing urban amenities in rural areas, will also become a sustainable business proposition," he said. |
| |
| Kalam said the banking sector and postal department can work with the World Bank to fund rural projects. |
| |
|
| |
