I mentioned earlier the clash of interests between the workers and the owners and the pressures and counterpressures to get a higher share of the total income. However, the other important entity, the Government, which embodies the hopes and aspirations of the people and which has to discharge its responsibility towards the neglected sections of society, also has to be given its share of the national income. This would imply that a certain portion of the increased incomes and wealth in the country must be assigned to the \public exchequer by way of higher levies, savings, taxation, etc. The Government cannot discharge its obligation to the society unless its position is strengthened by way of larger assignment of the national revenue to it.
These are the short term and the long term implications of the basic goal of combining economic development with social justice. What I have placed before you is essentially a macro-analysis. Micro-implications of it have to be spelt out in terms of specific targets. In the Fourth Plan we have decided to place major emphasis on reducing the rate of growth of population, since developmental efforts are bound to be frustrated if the number of people for whom the minimum standard of housing, education, nutrition, health, etc. are to be provided continues to increase. It will also be impossible to make any perceptible impact on the lives of the millions of the poorer sections of society if there is a sizeable addition to their numbers year after year. The remarkable results achieved in the agricultural sector during the last few years have given a new momentum to our efforts, and our anxiety during the Fourth Plan is to ensure that no constraints for over-all growth of the economy would lie within the agricultural sector. With this end in view, we have laid considerable emphasis on extension of irrigation facilities, rural electrification and the spread of green revolution to the farthermost corners of the country. In fact, the green revolution has so far touched only a fringe of our rural population and its real potential is yet to be realised. We have also been conscious of the need for increasing our exports. As the range and sophistication of industries expand, our requirements for imports of components, spares, raw materials and new technology are bound to increase. It will be fallacious to aim at maintaining a comfortable balance of payments position merely by reduction of imports and continuing the various foreign exchange restrictions.
