From farmers to members of self-help groups, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with a diverse group of beneficiaries of various government schemes on Wednesday as part of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
The yatra is being undertaken across the country with the aim of achieving saturation of flagship government schemes, ensuring that the benefits reach all targeted beneficiaries in a timely manner. Prime Minister Modi connected with a diverse group of beneficiaries participating in the Sankalp Yatra through video conferencing.
The event saw thousands of participants from various corners of the country, including Union ministers, MPs, MLAs, and local representatives.
According to an official statement, the Prime Minister began by acknowledging Sapna Prajapati from Kota, Rajasthan, a beneficiary of the SVANidhi scheme who played a crucial role in mask-making during the pandemic.
Praising her for her digital business transactions, Modi highlighted her group’s promotion of millets, an initiative applauded by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Modi encouraged women entrepreneurs like Sapna to leverage the Vishwakarma Scheme and contribute to the success of “Modi ki Guarantee ki Gaadi”.
“Your collective ‘Matru Shakti’ will take you to new heights, and I ask all of you ‘didis’ to make ‘Modi ki Guarantee ki Gaadi’ a great success by informing people about the benefits they can avail,” Modi was quoted as saying in the statement.
Continuing the engagement, he greeted Harikrishan, a farmer from Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, who has successfully embraced modern agricultural practices.
The farmer, a beneficiary of various government schemes, including Ayushman Bharat Yojana, commended the introduction of Nano Urea and the support provided by the government.
Modi reiterated the government’s commitment to stand with farmers and appreciated their adoption of modern techniques, according to the statement.
Further, the Prime Minister extended greetings to Gurdev Singh from Haridwar, involved in both farming and fisheries. Singh shared his success story under the Matasya Sampada Yojna, which doubled his income.
Emphasising the importance of animal husbandry, fisheries, and the blue revolution, Modi reiterated the government’s commitment to augmenting farm income through innovative practices. In another inspiring story, Rubina Khan from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, a member of a self-help group, shared her entrepreneurial journey.
With a loan from her SHG, Rubina transitioned from a labourer to a successful businesswoman, contributing to pandemic relief efforts by making masks and sanitizer.
The Prime Minister applauded her confidence and pledged to make two crore women from SHGs ‘lakhpati,’ emphasising the role of SHGs in fostering self-reliance.
The session continued with Arjun Singh, a tea garden worker from Tripura, who transformed his life through various government schemes like PM Awas, Ujjwala, and free toilets.
Expressing satisfaction, Modi highlighted the ease with which beneficiaries like Arjun are availing the benefits, reflecting the success of the government’s initiatives.
The Prime Minister underscored the importance of the confidence displayed by women entrepreneurs and beneficiaries, emphasising that their empowerment is integral to making the nation self-reliant.
He said his government is working to make cooperatives a strong part of rural life, asserting that they are being scaled up massively in sectors like agriculture and fisheries after making a mark in fields such as dairy and sugar production.
Modi said the change in the lives of crores of beneficiaries of his government’s welfare schemes in the last 10 years has been a story of courage, satisfaction, and dreams.
During the yatra, he said one crore people have been given ‘Ayushman’ cards, a health insurance scheme run by the government for the poor; 1.25 crore people have undergone health check-ups, while more than 70 lakh have been inspected for tuberculosis.
Taking a swipe at previous dispensations, he said if the situation during their tenure had prevailed now, then prospective beneficiaries of these schemes would have lost their hopes doing rounds of government offices.
There is no nepotism and bribery now to get these benefits, he said, adding “Modi is like family to you. You don’t need any connection.”
In the 10 years of his government, 10 crore women have joined self-help groups across the country and have been given Rs 7.5 lakh crore through banks, he said, adding that it is his dream to make 2 crore women ‘lakhpati.’
The Prime Minister said his government is working to build lakhs of storage facilities to help farmers.
He also said, “I have been told that wherever this Vikas Yatra reaches, stalls and shops of local products and information related to it are also being given. Products made by self-help groups are also being shown there. Information is also being given through government employees regarding how they can register on the GeM portal.
Only through such small efforts, and if some efforts are made in every village, every family, and everyone continues to join in, then the country will fulfill its grand resolve of a developed India.
Modi’s guaranteed vehicle will continue to run like this and will reach more and more comrades. You too, the more success you get in this journey, the more people you connect with, the more people can get information, the more people who deserve it but have not got it, it should be given to them. This is also a very noble act.
And my wish is that whoever deserves it should get his rights. And that’s why so much hard work is being done, you should take advantage of it. The trust you have placed, the faith you have shown, and your continuous support, and because of this, I always have the enthusiasm and zeal to do something new for you every time. I also guarantee that I will never lag behind in my work. Whatever needs to be done for your well-being is my guarantee.”
