New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on April 25 said the country's growth strategy had to be less capital-intensive and more labour-intensive and productivity-oriented.

"We have more labour and relatively less capital. Hence, our growth strategy has to be less capital-intensive and more labour-intensive and productivity-oriented," he said giving away the Prime Minister's 'Shram' Awards for 2001.

Asserting that "faster growth with employment and equity" was the government's philosophy of economic reforms, Vajpayee said the policies being pursued in the country were geared to achieve the twin goals of ensuring productive employment to every able-bodied person and reducing disparities and inequalities between developed and developing countries.

Speaking of a new national work culture, the Prime Minister gave a call for launching a national work improvement campaign with the central message – work faster, work better, work for the nation – and said work becomes worship only when it is done with the attitude of "samaj seva and rashtra seva".

Altogether, 37 workmen employed in departmental undertakings and Central and state public sector undertakings (PSUs) were given awards in recognition of their distinguished performances, innovative abilities, outstanding contribution in the field of productivity and exhibition of exceptional courage and presence of mind.

Vajpayee said it was beyond doubt that the country should explore new avenues of employment generation for the educated and not-so- educated youth.

He said upgradation of skills and knowledge base were the keys to unlock these avenues for generating more and better quality employment.

Pointing out that only five per cent of the Indian labour force in the age group of 20-24 had vocational skills, he said in industrial countries, the figure was much higher and varying between 60 and 80 per cent.

The Prime Minister said the illiterate and literate up to the primary level of education constituted a very high proportion of the existing workforce.

On one hand, the level of educational attainment of the existing workforce was very low, on the other, educated persons without professional skills constituted nearly 70 per cent of the total unemployed, he pointed out.

Vajpayee said an extensive programme for improving labour market information, vocational guidance and skill training was the need of the hour and added the skill level and educational attainment of the workforce determined the productivity and adaptability of the working class in a changing environment.

"In the times to come, we must create a workforce that is skilled and has the ingenuity and resourcefulness to adjust itself to the rapid changes in the labour market," he said.

PTI