Gone are days the poor had to run pillar to post in govt offices: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that though it is often said that the soul of India resides in villages, the potential of the villages was shackled even decades after the independence. Now the government itself is coming to the poor and empowering them, said the PM while interacting with beneficiaries of Svamitva Yojana in Madhya Pradesh today via video conferencing

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that efforts of the government for the last 6-7 years was to make the poor free from dependence on anyone. The prime minister made the remarks during his interaction with beneficiaries of Svamitva Yojana in Madhya Pradesh today via video conferencing.

Modi said that gone are the days when the poor had to run pillar to post in the government offices for everything. "Now the government itself is coming to the poor and empowering them. Now, money is being sent directly to the bank accounts of farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi for small farming needs," he said.

He also cited Mudra Yojana as an example of making finances available to people through loans without collateral. He said in the last 6 years about 29 crore loans amounting to 15 lakh crore have been approved for the people. He said today 70 lakh self-help groups are working in the country and women are being connected with the banking system via Jan Dhan accounts. He also mentioned a recent decision to enhance the limit of loans without collateral to the self-help groups from 10 lakh to 20 lakh. Similarly, more than 25 lakh street vendors have received loans under the Svanidhi scheme.

The PM also distributed e-property cards to 1,71,000 beneficiaries under the scheme on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, the prime minister said though it is often said that the soul of India resides in villages, the potential of the villages was shackled even decades after the independence.

"The power of the villages, the land and the houses of the people of the village could not be fully utilised for their development. On the contrary, the energy, time and money of the people of the village were wasted in disputes, fights, illegal occupations over village land and houses," he added.

The prime minister complimented the villages for their performance during the corona period. He noted how the villages of India worked together on one goal and tackled the pandemic with great vigilance. The Prime Minister said that the villages played a role in containing the pandemic during difficult times.

The PM remarked that the Svamvita Scheme is a new mantra for development and improving trust in the villages of the country with the help of modern technology. “The Udan Khatola (drone) that is flying in villages and localities for the survey is giving a new flight to the villages of India,” he said.

He also called upon scientists, engineers, software developers and start-up entrepreneurs to come forward to make low-cost drones in India. “Drones have the capability to take India to new heights”, he added.