The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
PM’S assertion of working 24x7 for 2047 not just a slogan: Sitharaman
FINANCE MINISTER Nirmala Sitharaman Monday said the NDA government’s performance in terms of implementation has been remarkable because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal interest, adding that his assertion of working “24x7 for 2047” is not just a slogan.
She also said implementation of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme has resulted in savings of more than `2.2 lakh crore.
Sitharaman was speaking after the launch of the book The Art of Implementation: How Modi Ki Guarantee Is Delivered. The book has been edited by former Rajya Sabha member and BJP leader Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Mukul Priyadarshi.
Sitharaman said the art of implementation is a major part of good governance. “In the implementation is the difference between Prime Minister Modi and probably even any other Prime Ministers whose intentions would have been to do good, and also to execute a lot of programs,” she said.
Sitharaman said: “The performance in terms of implementation is remarkable only because of the personal interest with which the Prime Minister sits to execute each one of them to make sure that officials are at it...”
“I am grateful that we have a Prime Minister who is giving so much attention. Like yesterday, he did mention, ‘24x7 I am committed for the sake of 2047’. [It is] not just a naara (slogan). That is what he does,” she said.
On the DBT, Sitharaman said: “DBT actually helped the government to save money from pilferage, save money from going to ghost accounts, save money from going to all those not entitled... That kind of verification using technology has resulted in more than `2.2 lakh crore saved from pilferage.”
Former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that art of implementation is the jadugari (magic) of Modi. “If a ranking of magicians of implementation is done in the world, Narendra Modi would be the first in the ranking,” Khattar said.
He narrated several anecdotes from his days in the BJP organisation when he was directly working with Modi.
He recounted how Modi’s style of functioning and innovative thinking paved way for the entry of Sudha Yadav, the only woman member of the BJP’S allpowerful parliamentary board.
“In 1999, when Lok Sabha elections were held in wake of Kargil war, BJP was discussing names of candidate. Modi was at that time in-charge of our state (Haryana). When the turn came for finalizing candidates for Rohtak, Faridabad and Gurugram constituencies, he [Modi] said he wanted to name a Kargil war widow as a candidate on one of these three seats,” Khattar recounted.
“It took us three days... Then we found Sudha Yadav, who is now a senior functionary in the party,” Khattar said.
Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that the Prime Minister has done revolutionary work by providing houses to four crore poor families, bank accounts to 50 crore people and 11 crore LPG connections.
Sahasrabuddhe said that often people talk about ‘Modi magic’. “It is not Modi magic, it is the Modi mehnat (hard work),” he said.