25 crore people in India out of poverty: Governor
Stating that India as a ‘Kudumbam’ (family) can illafford to leave behind Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe(SC/ST) populations, and others in suffering, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi said on Wednesday in Tiruppur that the country had registered an achievement by bringing 25 crore people out of poverty.
Speaking to about 300 SC/ST beneficiaries and conservancy workers shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched through videoconferencing the Pradhan
Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) national portal, the Governor said the outreach would ensure credit support to disadvantaged sections at low interest rates.
Participants in Tiruppur joined the programme that covered over 500 districts across the country.
“It is painful that a large number of people had to struggle for basic needs even after 70 years of Independence. We have been talking a lot about development, and considering India as a ‘Kudumbam’, they cannot be discriminated against,” the Governor said in his address.
“Seventy years is three generations. We cannot grow if such a large number of people are left behind,” the Governor said, emphasising that the PMSURAJ portal assures easy access to credit for the marginalised people at a simple interest, for starting own businesses, education, health upkeep and various other activities.
Referring to Safai Karamcharis, the Governor who handed over benefits under the PM-SURAJ scheme to participants on the occasion, said: “Even today, we read off and on that many of our brothers die while cleaning septic tanks. Their working condition is pitiable, inhuman...This cannot be India. Our India has to be where every citizen lives and works with dignity, with self respect. Self respect comes with self independence, with capablility to earn for livelihood without having to worry about health, medicine bill, drinking water, electricity and children’s education.”
That’s why all the schemes have been launched, the Governor said, urging the participants, particularly women, to avail themselves of its utility.