Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday turned a BJP rally in Thrissur into a virtual launch-pad of the Kerala BJP’s work for the 2016 Assembly polls by devoting his speech to highlight the BJP’s development policy.
Addressing a massive public meeting in Kerala’s cultural capital, Modi, who was on his first visit to the State after becoming PM touched on issues that influenced Kerala’s economic and social life like fishermen’s woes, falling rubber prices, plight of NRIs, skill development, shortcomings in loan facility for students, etc.
He said the Centre had specific schemes to find solutions to the problems on all such fronts.
Devoting most of his speech to enumerating and describing the development initiatives the Central Government had taken to uplift the poor and improve the quality of life of the poor, OBCs and Dalits, the PM said: “I have a dream! In 2022 when we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Independence, how would we want to celebrate itIJ By then every Indian family should have a house to live in. All Indian families should have toilets and drinking water. There should be enough schools, hospitals.”
“Even the poorest of the poor should have homes to live in,” the PM said indicating that the actual power of the country lay not in huge industries but in the small initiatives of ordinary people.
“The Centre wants the country’s march of progress to include every State by bringing development to each and every ordinary person,” he added.
Making specific references to schemes like Make in India, Start-up India, Stand-up India and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, he said these were already working wonders in transforming the quality of life of Keralites and enhancing the educational and employment opportunities of the youth in the State.
Earlier, the PM was accorded a warm welcome to the State as he landed at the Naval airport in Kochi. State Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, his Cabinet colleagues KP Mohanan and K Babu and others were present to receive him at the airport.