English rendering of the highlights of PM’s address on Independence Day

Prime Minster Narendra Modi today addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the country’s 70th Independence Day. The highlights of his speech are given below : • On this auspicious occasion of Independence Day today. I convey my greetings to 125 crore countrymen and the Indian Diaspora. • This 70th Independence Day is an occasion of resolve to take the country to newer heights with new energy, new commitments and new passion. • Behind this independence that we enjoy today, there is the saga of dedication and supreme sacrifice by lakhs of great men. • From the Vedas to Vivekanand, from the Upanishads to satellites ( Upagraha ), from the Sudarshan Chakradhari Mohan to Charkhadhari Mohan, from the Mahabharat famed Bhim to Bhimrao is the long history and heritage of ours. • India is not 70 years old but this journey is 70 years long. • Now turning Self Governance to Good Governance is the resolve of one hundred and twenty five crore countrymen. • Whether it is Panchayat or Parliament, Gram Pradhan or Pradhan Mantri ( Prime Minister), everyone, every single democratic institution has to discharge his of its responsibilities, has to fulfil his or its duties to further the cause of Good Governance. • If India has lakhs of problems, it also has one hundred and twenty five crore brains that have the ability to resolve them. • The administration has to be responsive ( sensitive ) ; it has to be responsible also. • You may remember there was a time when one had to wait for long if he or she was to go to a big hospital. • Today issuing ( getting ) 15 thousand Rail- tickets in a minute has become a reality. • Emphasizing on efficiency to bring ( for) good governance in the system is equally important. • Earlier, it used to take four to six months to get a Passport if you had no recommendation; now you get it in one or two weeks. • In 2015-16 only one crore 75 lakh Passports, issuing in such a short time, but we did it. • We will take out Group C and Group D posts in the Government from the purview of Interview. • Now, no Interview procedure will be there for these 9000 posts. • We have to increase the speed of our work, we have to further speed it up. • Earlier, 70-75 kilo metre of rural road used to be built in a day; today that speed (of work) has been increased to 100 kilo metre per day. • Renewable energy is a focus area for us. • In the past one year we could increase about 40 % in wind energy generation. • About 30-35 thousand kilo metre transmission lines were laid in a year. Today we have advanced this work to 50 thousand kilo metre. • If we talk of Rail line commissioning in the past ten years…….Today in two years we have succeeded in doing 3500 kilo metre of work. • We have given four crore new gas connections in 60 weeks. • More than two crore toilets have been constructed in our villages. Over 70 thousand villages have been free from open defecation. • We are distributing the bulb for Rs. 50 which was earlier being sold for Rs. 350. This was possible because of Government’s intervention. • We have already distributed 13 crore bulbs; we are determined to distribute 77 crore bulbs. • There will be a saving of 20 thousand megawatt of electricity, which means a saving of one lakh 25 thousand crore rupees. • By saving 20 thousand megawatt of electricity we can fight Global warming. • Because of our continuing measures we did not allow the Inflation rate to shoot up beyond 6%. • We tried our level best to check Inflation. • I will not allow the poor man’s dish become costlier. • We have given attention to health of soil. We have laid emphasis on soil health card and water management. • I congratulate my farmer brothers for their unrelenting efforts to fill the country’s food basket despite the drought in the past two years. • We have fixed MSP for pulses; also given bonus. We have set up a well-managed arrangement for purchase of pulses. • We have given emphasis to water management, irrigation and water conservation. • Our current emphasis is on per drop more crop and Micro irrigation. We have resolved to complete first over 90 irrigation projects that were in limbo. • We have distributed 77 thousand solar pumps. • Our scientists have developed more than 131 new varieties of seeds that can enhance per hectare productivity of our lands. • Scarcity of fertilisers is a thing of past. Now we have succeeded in producing maximum quantity of fertilisers. • We have for the first time succeeded in ensuring maximum guarantee with minimum premium for Fasal Bima Yojana. • We have built warehouses to store 15 lakh tons food grains. • We have promoted 100 % FDI in food processing which will give fillip to our agro- based industries. • Total transformation and transformation with transparency. We tried to implement the principle of Reform, Perform and Transform to set things right in every range. • We have given priority to the country and not the Government. • We laid emphasis on Integrated Development instead of Isolated Development. We concentrated on empowerment rather than entitlement. • About 118 projects worth seven and a half lakh crore rupees which some past government began or thought of or planned remained pending. I identified these projects and asked the officials to complete them. • Blocking projects , delaying them and wasting money amounts to criminal negligence and we tried to get over that. • Railway projects are now cleared within six months and this was possible because of our clear cut policy and honest intensions. • Thousands of crores of rupees dues of cane farmers remained pending; we cleared 95% of these arrears. • We have resolved to provide gas stoves to five crore poor families. Out of which 50 lakh families have already been given stove within the first 100 days. • We have taken steps to convert post offices payment banks. This will spread a network of banks across rural India. The people are now able to get benefit of their Jan Dhan accounts and MNRGEA payments are being credited to their accounts through Aadhar. • We have succeeded in bringing back Air India into profit. BSNL came into profit for the first time. Besides, Shipping corporation also came into profit. • All middlemen have been forced out the system through Aadhar. • Spectrum auction went online. This resulted in filling the exchequer, the competition was also healthy and the country benefitted. • In the matter of FDI, India has become an attractive destination. • As far as GDP growth rate is concerned, we have left behind even the big economies of the world. • The GST regime is to become a powerful tool to strengthen the economy. • The initiative that we have taken to save and educate the girl child needs cooperation of the society. • Three and a half crore people have got the benefit of Mudra Yojana. Most of the beneficiaries were the first timer as bank customers; among them about 80% were SCs, STs and OBCs. Among the borrowers 80% were women. • Maternity leave has been increased to 26 weeks so that mothers can take better care of their babies. • We have launched e-NAM for farmers. Today a farmer can sell his produce online to any market in the country. • We have given momentum to several projects including Bharatmala, Setu Bharatam and Bharat net. • Ramanucharyaji used to say, serve all people without discrimination, Do not disregard anyone for his age or caste, Respect all. • We have taken several initiatives to fulfil the aspirations of the youth. • India is exporting maximum quantity of software today, more than 50 new mobile factories have been set up and all these are generating jobs for the youth. • One rank one pension scheme has brought delight to every household of our defence personnel. • We declassified the files related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. • Parliament passed the Real Estate bill and this resulted in regulating real estate sector and hindrances towards building houses for the middle class have been removed. • Unity in diversity is our strength, the sentiment of unity has struck deep roots into our society. • WE know how to respect, how to play host and how to make others our own. We inherit this great tradition and that is why ther is no place for violence and atrocity in our country. • This country will not tolerate violence and terrorism. It will never bend before terrorism and Maoism. • If we fight against poverty only then we will march ahead towards prosperity and so, I call upon all neighbours to join this initiative. • The way the people of Baluchistan, Gilgit and Pak occupied Kashmir praised me, has enhanced the prestige of my 125 crore countrymen. • 20 % increase in Pension given to freedom fighter families is under our consideration. • The Government will build a Museum in memory of our brave tribal freedom fighters • The Government will bear the treatment expenses of a poor family up to one lakh rupees. • Let one society, one dream, one resolution , one direction and one destination be our guiding spirit Bharat mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram, Jai Hind.