‘Welfare schemes no longer limited to few’
PM Modi challenges states to submit fresh ideas to government finance commission
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday called upon chief ministers to contribute their efforts towards 100 per cent implementation of Central schemes for the poor people’s welfare as he said these were no longer limited to certain people and reaching everyone without discrimination.
He encouraged states to give fresh ideas to the Finance Commission on outcomebased allocations and expenditure correction, while calling for a widespread debate and consultations on simultaneous parliamentary and assembly elections, “keeping in view various aspects such as the resulting financial savings and consequent better utilisation of resources”.
‘Last in the line’
In his closing remarks at fourth meeting of the NITI Aayog’s Governing Council, Modi, welcoming the constructive discussion and suggestions made by various chief ministers, assured them that these would be seriously considered during decisionmaking, an official statement said.
He asked the NITI Aayog to follow up, within three months, on the actionable points suggested by states.
Modi termed it “vital to identify the ‘last people in the line’ so that benefits of governance can reach them”.
“Similarly social justice is an important governance objective. These noble causes require close coordination and constant monitoring,” he said.
On his government’s guiding principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, the prime minister said: “The schemes of the Union government are no longer limited to certain people, or to certain regions and are reaching everyone without discrimination, in a balanced way.”
Noting that all villages of the country are now electrified, he said, under Saubhagya Yojana, 40 million houses were now being provided with electricity connections.
“Rural sanitation coverage has increased from less than 40 per cent to about 85 per cent in four years. After implementation of the Jan Dhan Yojana, the entire population will be connected to the banking system.
“The Ujjwala Yojana is providing access to cooking gas, and Mission Indradhanush is working towards universal immunisation,” he said adding that his government is working towards providing housing for all by 2022.
“The implementation of these welfare schemes is also bringing about a behavioural change in the lives of people,” he said.
“In the last four years, 77 million toilets have been constructed,” he added.
Noting that all villages of the country are now electrified, PM Modi said 40 million houses were now being provided with electricity connections.