NEW DELHI, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked his cabinet ministers to meet a target of one trillion U.S. dollars investment in infrastructure over the next five years "at any cost".
"The United Progressive Alliance government's fundamental objective is inclusive growth. Infrastructure is at the top of our agenda and will require particular attention and effort at multiple levels across the government," the Prime Minister was quoted by local media as telling all 77 ministers at a meeting Thursday.
In the meeting, the first since the recent Cabinet reshuffle, Singh also said the growing gap between demand and supply of energy had emerged as a major roadblock to development in this country.
"It is a major factor in widening the deficit on current account of our balance of payments as well as the fiscal deficit. It is imperative that we come to a common understanding on these issues and work out mechanisms and remedial measures that will enable us to tackle these critical deficiencies on a priority basis," he said.
The Prime Minister added: "While we should take justifiable pride in our successes, it is important to recognize we are now also experiencing the fallout of difficult economic conditions worldwide. As a result, our growth has decelerated, our exports have fallen and our fiscal deficits are expanding."
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