Despite India's fast-growing economy, many live below poverty line: NGT chairman

Guwahati: National Green Tribunal chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel Sunday said India has earned its pride of place in the world with its economy growing "very fast" but a large number of people still live below the poverty line.

The country had no doubt achieved growth but it was not "enough" to meet the aspirations of the freedom fighters who had drafted the Constitution, the NGT chairman regretted while speaking at a function at the Raj Bhavan here on the eve of Constitution Day.

"Our economy is growing very fast, we have a place of pride in the world as a nation. But we have a large umber of people below the poverty line. We have people who are deprived of food ... there are people who are deprived of shelter and clothes," Justice Goel said.

He said, in many districts of Odisha, there are people who do not have sufficient clothes to cover their body.

They use only one piece of cloth to cover their body even after 70 years of independence.

Stating that legislators, administrators, politicians judges, and lawyers are committed to ensure that justice is served, he said, "Justice means we must guarantee minimum need to all."

Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi said the Indian Constitution is a fine blend of securing its peoples fundamental rights and realisation of the aspirations of the people in the directive principles.

"We have a Constitution that is robust, comprehensive, stable and dynamic enough to realise the aspirations of our people."

Speaking on the history of the Constitution, Vice Chancellor of National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, Dr J S Patil said the Constituent Assembly had adopted the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949 and it came into force later on January 26, 1950.