Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 77th Independence Day on Tuesday, greeted his 140 crore ‘Pariwarjan’ (Family Members) and noted the trust in the country which is at an all-time high.
Addressing the nation on the occasion, he lauded the exemplary contribution of health workers specially Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers for their dedication and persistent efforts in achieving the milestone of over 200 crore Covid vaccinations. “Helping the world during and after COVID has established India as a friend to the world”, he further noted.
Accentuating the efforts of the government to improve the Universal Health Coverage of the country, he said that the government has invested Rs. 70,000 crores in Ayushman Bharat which provides Rs.5 lakh annual health guarantee to the BPL families.
Highlighting the vision of One Earth, One Health and One Future, he said “Jan Aushadhi Kendras have given new strength to the middle class of the country by savings of Rs. 20,000 crores. He affirmed that nation is going to work in the coming days with the target of increasing the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras to 25,000 from the present number of 10000 Kendras.
Giving an account of the progress in the last 10 years, the PM said that the figures tell a compelling story of change. Asserting that the transformation is huge and a testament to the immense capability of the nation, the PM said that 10 years ago, 30 lakh crore rupees used to go to the states from the Government of India. In the last 9 years, this figure has reached 100 lakh crore, the PM pointed out. “Earlier, 70 thousand crore rupees were spent from the treasury of the Government of India for the development of local bodies, today it is more than 3 lakh crore rupees.”
The PM told the nation that earlier, 90 thousand crore rupees were spent to build the houses of the poor; today it has increased 4 times and more than 4 lakh crore rupees are being spent to build the houses of the poor. The PM informed that bags of urea which are sold at Rs. 3,000 in some global markets are being given to farmers at not more than 300 rupees. “The bags of urea that are sold for 3,000 rupees in some global markets, we provide to our farmers for 300 rupees, and hence the government is providing a subsidy of 10 lakh crore rupees on urea for our farmers.”
The PM explained that the MUDRA Yojana has enabled crore of citizens to become entrepreneurs and thus also be job creators for others. “The Mudra Yojana, with a budget of over 20 lakh crore rupees, has provided opportunities for self-employment, businesses, and ventures for the youth of our country. About eight crore people have started new businesses, and it’s not just eight crore people who started their businesses; each entrepreneur has provided employment to one or two individuals.
Speaking on the Manipur violence, Modi said that there has been a period of unrest and violence in Manipur and news of attacks on the dignity of women, he noted that people of Manipur are maintaining peace for sometime and asked that the process of peace be carried forward. “The state and the central government are working together to solve those problems and will continue to do so”, he said.
The capability to provide employment to 8-10 crore new individuals has been achieved through the Mudra Yojana availed by eight crore citizens.” The PM added that businesses too were supported during the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein MSMEs were supported with nearly 3.5 lakh crore rupees, preventing them from sinking and providing them strength.
The PM also recalled how the “One Rank One Pension” initiative brought the benefit of 70,000 crore rupees from India’s treasury to our soldiers, as a tribute to them. The families of our retired soldiers have got this money, he said.
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The PM underlined that these are just a few examples and that there are many more initiatives that have significantly contributed to the country’s development, generating employment in various corners of the nation. The PM reminded the nation that compared to earlier years, the nation’s budget has been increased manifold across categories.
The PM informed that as a result of all these efforts, 13.5 crore poor people have broken free from the chains of poverty and entered the new middle class, during the one tenure of five years of the government. The PM told that there can be no greater satisfaction in life than this. The PM added that the various schemes ranging from housing schemes, provision of 50,000 crore rupees to street vendors through the PM SVANidhi scheme, and many more such schemes have aided these 13.5 crore people to rise above the hardships of poverty.
Prime Minister explained how India’s G20 Presidency has helped show the world the potential of the common citizen of the country. The PM said that it is certain that India’s potential and India’s possibilities are going to cross new heights of confidence and that these new heights of confidence should be taken with new potential.
“India’s G20 presidency has made the world aware of the potential of India’s common citizen. Today, India has got the opportunity to host the G-20 Summit in the country. And for the last one year, the way many such G-20 events have been organized in every corner of India, it has made the world aware of the potential of the common man of the country.”
Modi said that the Ministry of Jal Shakti is laying emphasis on ensuring that pure drinking water reaches each and every citizen of our country. “We are reiterating and focusing on development of sensitive systems to protect the environment”, he added. Talking about how India showed the light during the dark times of the Corona pandemic, he said the government created a separate Ministry of AYUSH and today Yoga and AYUSH are making waves in the world. After India braved Corona, the world is looking for holistic health care, which is the need of the hour, he added.
Referring to the separate Ministry for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy, the Prime Minister called them crucial contributors and pillars of the government and the country’s economy. The new Ministry is playing an important role so that no one from the society and that class is left behind in availing the benefits announced by the government, he added.