8% growth for 30 yrs to give India best of world: Modi

Advocates accountability, participatory democracy for good governance

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said over 8% growth over the next 30 years will bring the best of the world to India, even as he lamented being questioned for every “wrong”, right from the panchayat level.

Advocating accountability at every level to ensure good governance, he said everyone responsible should be answerable and held accountable.

In a democracy, he said, people give the elected government a“five-year contract” and if they do not like the performance in the next election, the mandate is given to some other political party. “Our country has always believed that good governance is bad politics. After winning one election, government keeps thinking how to win the next election. They are focused on how to increase political base and ways to get more votes and hence, going forward, the government collapses,” he said.

Addressing his first townhall, Modi stressed upon the need for providing a dress al system that not just listens to complaints of citizens, but also redresses them in a time-bound manner.

“With rapid and continued economic growth of over 8% over the next 30 years, we can have whatever best we see in the world,” Modi said at the event, which marked two years of the government’s citizen partnership app, myGov.

Modi said India has become the fastest growing large economy in the world with a growth rate of over 7.5%, which is credible despiteglobal slow down and two consecutive years of drought.

The PM said without good governance, the benefits of government-run schemes will not benefit the common man.

Modi stressed upon participatory democracy as being necessary for good gover nance, saying it can be achieved only when the government hears the voice of the people and acts on their grievances. Modi said because of lack of good governance, lakhs and crores of rupees are going waste and hence there is a need for a balanced relation between development and good gover nance.

Asking manufacturers to target global markets, Modi said natural and human resources should be optimally utilised, while attempts should be made to cut India's oil import dependence by shifting to renewable energy sources like solar power.

To buttress his point, he cited the example of Japan importing cars manufactured by Maruti in India.

SOURCE: PIB Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the townhall event in New Delhi on Saturday