New Delhi: President A P J Abdul Kalam today (June 21, 2004) asked World Bank (WB) to assist India in its rural development in a big way for uplifting 700 million people living in villages.

"It would be appropriate as a next step of development financing that the World Bank can become a partner in enabling NGOs and corporate sector for undertaking development of viable clusters of villages for their sustainable development in a big way," Kalam said inaugurating the 'Country-level Development Marketplace' organised by World Bank in New Delhi.

He said an outlay of $ 20-40 million was required for development of each of the rural clusters.

"Such investment, besides providing urban amenities in rural areas, will also become a sustainable business proposition," he said.

Kalam said the banking sector and postal department, having strong presence in rural India, can work with WB to fund rural projects that would act as "catalysts" to uplift the poor, so that they can afford urban amenities without having to migrate to urban India.

Referring to 70 crore people living in six lakh villages, the President said rural prosperity depends upon building up both "content and connectivity".

"Connectivity of village complexes providing economic opportunities to all segments of the people is an urgent need to empower the rural sector," he said.

The essential needs of villages today are water, power, road, sanitation, healthcare, education, transportation, communication and other services needed for sustainable entrepreneurship and quality of life, he added.