Kerala society that once was the envy of the world is witnessing a tremendous increase in disparity, according to noted economist M.A. Oommen.
The inequality was inlaid in almost all aspects of the State’s growth, he said, delivering the 4th I.S. Gulati Commemoration lecture on ‘Growing Inequality in Kerala: Critiquing the policy choices of the State’ organised by Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT) at the Government Guest House here on Monday.
According to him, social sector induced growth, economic reforms, foreign remittances, and ad hocism — no vision for Malayali’s motherland were the four key inequality dimensions seen in the State. Service sector remained the most prominent driving force with its share shooting from 40.09 per cent in 1990-1991 to 63.84 per cent in 2009-2010, Dr. Oommen said.
Growth rateThe annual average growth rate was over 9 per cent during the first decade of the reform and 10.83 per cent during the 2000-10 decade. “This service sector driven growth has a bearing on inequality,” he said.
Dr. Oommen said the commercialisation of education and health sectors, once the bedrock of the Kerala model of development, had completely marginalised the historically disadvantaged groups like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and the fisher folk. The difference in the expenditure on education between the rural low-income groups and high income groups was “disquieting”, he said, adding the marginalised groups could be socially mobile only if they got proper chances of education.
Dr. Oommen highlighted the housing glut to further emphasise the point of growing inequality. More than 10 per cent of houses were vacant and 66.5 per cent of houses in Kerala had three or more rooms. The national average of such houses was 27.3 per cent. Jameela Prakasham, MLA, inaugurated the lecture. Director of CDS Amit S. Ray chaired the session. Director, GIFT, Jose Jacob welcomed the gathering.
