New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS): President Pranab Mukherjee Monday called for a rural growth strategy in order to make a decisive impact on poverty and to trigger a development process that combines growth with equity.

Addressing the 19th meeting of the governing council of the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), Mukherjee said technology has to be the vehicle to bridge distances between rural and urban areas.

"A rural growth strategy has become necessary to make a decisive impact on poverty and to trigger a development process that combines growth with equity," he said.

"Technology has to be the vehicle to bridge distances - not only in terms of geography, but also progress and development. The digital divide between urban and rural areas has to be broken. Technology-based solutions have to assist interventions in farming, healthcare and education," he said.

Calling for the efficient management of land, Mukherjee said: "Principles of community empowerment have to be adopted to increase the productivity of land, particularly rain-fed, degraded and waste lands. Climate change, energy security and environmental degradation have to be given priority in development initiatives."

"Our policies have to ensure people's participation at various stages of programme formulation and implementation; transparency in the operation of schemes, and careful monitoring," he said.