PM’s address at Garib Kalyan Sammelan, Shimla

Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! The Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Rajendra ji, the popular and hardworking Chief Minister and my friend Shri Jai Ram Thakur ji, the BJP’s state president and our old colleague Shri Suresh ji, my colleagues in the Union Council of Ministers, MPs, MLAs and all the public representatives of Himachal Pradesh. Today is a special day in my life and what can be a greater blessing than this that I am privileged to pay obeisance to this Devbhoomi on this special day. I thank you very much for coming in such a large number to bless us. Just now, crores of farmers of the country got the money from the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi in their accounts. I got the privilege to transfer money to the accounts of more than 10 crore farmers of the country from the soil of Shimla. Those farmers will also remember Shimla, Himachal and this Devbhoomi. I congratulate and extend my best wishes to all the farmer brothers and sisters from the bottom of my heart. Friends, Though this program is being held in Shimla, it is meant for the entire India. We were discussing what program should be held on the completion of eight years of the government. So suggestions came from our Nadda ji, who is from Himachal, and also from Jai Ram ji and I liked both the suggestions very much. Yesterday, I got the opportunity to take care of the children who lost both their mother and father during the Corona period. The government decided to take care of thousands of children in the country, and yesterday I also sent some money to them digitally. Such a program on the completion of eight years (of government) gives great peace and joy. Then there was this suggestion that we should hold a program in Himachal. I said yes to the suggestion without batting an eyelid. Himachal holds a very important place in my life and spending some happy moments here is nothing like that. Therefore, I said this important program on the occasion of eight years of government is happening in Shimla, which was once my ‘karmabhoomi’. Devbhoomi to me is a holy land. Getting an opportunity to talk to the countrymen from this Devbhoomi gives me immense pleasure. Friends, You gave me the opportunity, the privilege and the trust to work as a ‘sevak’ of 130 crore Indians, and if I am able to do something today then don’t think that Modi does it. All this is happening because of the grace, blessings and the strength of 130 crore countrymen. As a member of the family, I have never seen myself in that position, never ever imagined and not even today just because I am Prime Minister. When I sign a file, there is a responsibility and I have to act as the Prime Minister. Once the file is gone, I am no longer the Prime Minister, I become a member of the family of 130 crore countrymen only. As a member of your own family, I continue to work as a ‘pradhan sevak’. In future also, being a member of a family, I would continue to align myself with the hopes and aspirations of the family of 130 crore countrymen. This is my life all about. You are everything in my life and this life is also for you. And when our government is completing its eight years, I will again reiterate my resolution from this Devbhoomi, because the resolution should be remembered every time and should never be forgotten, and my resolve was, is and will continue to be in future also for which I will live, struggle and will continue to be with all of you. My resolve is for the dignity and security of every Indian, how to improve their prosperity and how to ensure a happy and peaceful life for them. I once again commit myself to this resolve from this Devbhoomi to continue as I much as I can do for the welfare of everybody, be it the poorest of the poor, dalit, oppressed, deprived, people living in far-flung forests and even a few families settled on hillocks. Friends, Together we will take India to that position whose dream was seen by the people who died for freedom. In this Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, I have come among you today with full faith in India’s youth power, women power and with the confidence of a very bright future of India. Friends, When we move forward towards achieving big goals in life, sometimes it is also necessary to see from where we start? And when we recall that (period) only then we know from where did we start and where we have reached, how has been our pace and progress and what have been our achievements. If we recall the days before 2014, do not forget those days, friends, then only we will understand the value of these occasions. If we look at the present circumstances, you will realize that the country has come a long way. Prior to 2014, loot, embezzlement, corruption, scams, nepotism, bureaucracy and delayed projects topped the headlines of newspapers and were debated in TV (news channels). But the time has changed. Today the benefits of government schemes are discussed. Somewhere from Sirmaur, Samadevi says that she has got this benefit. There is an attempt to reach the last mile (of society). Today the discussion revolves around the direct transfer of money to the bank accounts of the poor and about start-ups in India. The World Bank also discusses the ease of doing business in India. The innocent citizens of India discuss the power to reign in criminals and zero-tolerance towards corruption. Before 2014, the government had considered corruption as an inherent part of the system. Instead of fighting corruption, the government had succumbed to it. The country was watching how the money of the schemes was embezzled before it reached the needy. But today the benefits of Jan Dhan accounts and the trinity of the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar and Mobile are being discussed. Earlier there was a compulsion to bear smoke in the kitchens; today there is a facility to get cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme. Earlier open defecation was a compulsion; today there is freedom to live with dignity by having toilets in the house. Earlier there was helplessness to raise money for treatment; today every poor has the support of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Earlier there was a fear of Triple Talaq; now there is the courage to fight for one’s rights. Friends, Before 2014, there was concern about the security of the country; today we are proud of surgical strikes and air strikes and our border is more secure than before. Earlier the North East of the country was hurt over discrimination and unbalanced development. Today our North East is also emotionally connected and is also connecting with modern infrastructure. Our schemes for service, good governance and welfare of the poor have changed the meaning of governance for the people. The government is not master today. That period is over. Now the government is ‘sevak’ (servant) of the masses. Now the government is working not to interfere in life but to make life easier. Over the years, we have brought the politics of development into the mainstream of the country. People are choosing a stable government, a double engine government, in this desire for development. Friends, We often hear that governments come and go, but the system remains the same. Our government made this system more sensitive for the poor by making continuous improvements in it. Be it the PM Awas Yojana, scholarships or pension schemes, we have minimized the scope of corruption with the help of technology. We are trying to provide a permanent solution to the problems which were earlier assumed to be permanent. When there is the goal of service, good governance and welfare for the poor, Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme is one such example how things move. More than 21,000 crore rupees have been transferred to the bank accounts of the families of more than 10 crore farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme. This amount is for the dignity of our small farmers. In the last eight years, we have transferred more than Rs 22 lakh crore directly into the account of the countrymen through the DBT. And it is not that 85 paise of 100 paise sent to them would go missing as it used to happen earlier. All the money has been sent to the bank accounts of the real beneficiaries at their correct address. Friends, Today, Rs 2.25 lakh crore have been saved from the leakages due to this scheme. Earlier, the same 2.5 lakh crore rupees would go into the hands of middlemen and touts. Due to the DBT, we have successfully removed more than nine crore fake names from the list who were taking undue advantage of government schemes in the country. Just imagine, everything was being robbed in the country by forging names on papers for gas subsidy, fees for children’s education and money meant against malnutrition. Was it not injustice to the poor of the country? Was it not injustice to the children who hope for a bright future? Was it not a sin? Had these nine crore fake names existed on paper, could the poor get the benefit of the government’s efforts during the Corona crisis? Friends, When the day-to-day struggle of the poor is reduced, he becomes empowered and he commits himself with new energy to get rid of his poverty. With this approach, our government is engaged in empowering the poor from day one. We have tried to ease every concern in his life. Today, 3 crore poor people of the country have got their pucca and new houses, where they have started living. Today, more than 50 crore poor people of the country have the facility of free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. Today, more than 25 crore poor people of the country have accident insurance and term insurance of Rs 2 lakh each. Today, about 45 crore poor people of the country have Jan Dhan bank accounts. Today I can say with great pride that there will be hardly any family in the country which is not associated with some or the other scheme of the government and getting benefit from that scheme. We have vaccinated people by reaching far and wide. The country is reaching a record level of about 200 crore vaccine doses and I would congratulate Jai Ram ji the way his government has worked during the Corona period. Being a tourist destination state, he carried out the vaccination drive so rapidly to ensure that tourism did not suffer. In fact, Jai Ram ji’s government was among the first states to complete the vaccination. Friends, we have connected six crore families living in the villages with clean water through taps. Friends, We have given self-employment opportunities to crores of youth in villages and small towns by distributing Mudra loans to 35 crore people. Somebody is driving a taxi by taking a Mudra loan, someone has opened a tailoring shop or a daughter has started her own business. About 35 lakh street vendors have also got loans from banks for the first time and found a way to expand their business. It is a matter of satisfaction for me that 70 percent of those who got money from the bank under the Prime Minister’s Mudra Yojana are our mothers and sisters who are giving employment to people by becoming entrepreneurs. Friends, There is hardly any family in Himachal Pradesh which has not produced a soldier. This is the land of heroes. This is the land of brave mothers who give birth to heroes who put their lives at risk round the clock to protect the motherland. Friends, This is the land of soldiers. The people here can never forget how the earlier governments treated them, how they cheated them in the name of One-Rank One-Pension. Right now, we were talking to a retired soldier from Ladakh. He had spent his life in the army, but he is getting a pucca house after the formation of our government. It has been 30-40 years since he retired. Friends, The soldiers’ families understand our sensitivity very well. It is our government which implemented One-Rank One-Pension after a long wait of four decades and gave arrears to our ex-servicemen. Every family of Himachal has benefited a lot from this. Friends, Vote bank politics has ruled our country for decades. The politics of creating one’s own vote bank has done a lot of damage to the country. We are not working to create vote banks, but to build a new India. When the goal is to rebuild the nation, to make India self-reliant, when the intention is to serve and promote welfare of 130 crore countrymen, then vote banks are not created, but the trust of all the countrymen is won. Therefore, we are moving ahead with the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’. The government is working with the approach so that everyone should get the benefit of government schemes and no poor should be left out. We have taken the initiative to provide 100% benefit to 100% beneficiaries and have taken a pledge for the saturation of the beneficiaries. The hundred percent empowerment means end to discrimination, elimination of recommendations and end to appeasement. The hundred percent empowerment means that every poor gets full benefits of government schemes. I am happy to know that Himachal Pradesh is doing very good work in this direction under the leadership of Jai Ram ji. Himachal has already covered 90 percent of the households under the Har Ghar Jal Yojana and 100% coverage has been achieved in Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba and Hamirpur districts. Friends, Prior to 2014, I remember during my visits here I used to say that India would not be subservient to the world but would deal with it on its own terms. Today, India does not extend the hand of friendship in compulsion, but extends its hand for help. We sent medicines and vaccines to more than 150 countries even during the Corona period. Baddi — the pharma hub of Himachal Pradesh — has also played a big role in this regard. India has proved that we have potential and we are also performers. International organizations are also accepting that poverty is declining in India and facilities for people are increasing. Now India not only has to fulfill the needs of its people, but we also have to fulfill the awakened aspirations of the people. We have to expand ourselves for the bright future of the future generations, for the bright India of the 21st century. An India whose identity is not paucity but modernity! An India in which the local manufacturers meet the local demands and also sell goods in the world markets! An India that is self-reliant, which is vocal for its local and which is proud of its local products! The handicrafts and architecture of Himachal are equally famous. Tourists go crazy when they see the metal work of Chamba, the pine art of Solan and the miniature paintings of Kangra. We are working to make such products reach every nook and corner of the country and international markets. By the way, brothers and sisters, the radiance of the local products of Himachal has now reached the temple of Baba Vishwanath in Kashi. The traditional dresses made by our mothers and sisters in Kullu are helping the priests and security personnel of Kashi Vishwanath temple during the winter season. As a Member of Parliament from Banaras, I express special gratitude to the people of Himachal Pradesh for this gift. Friends, I am full of self-confidence with the results of the efforts of the last eight years. No goal is impossible as far as the potential of Indians is concerned. Today India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Today record foreign investment is happening in India. India is also making record exports. Eight years ago, we were nowhere in terms of start-ups. Today we are the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. Our youths are preparing a company worth thousands of crores of rupees almost every week. The country is also rapidly building new infrastructure for the new economy for realizing the grand resolutions of the next 25 years. We are focusing on multimodal connectivity supporting each other. The ‘Parvat Mala’ scheme that we announced in this year’s budget will further strengthen connectivity in hilly states like Himachal. Under the Vibrant Border Village scheme announced in the budget, border villages would be made vibrant and centres of tourist destinations. The Government of India has made a special plan for the development of the villages adjacent to the border. The benefit of this Vibrant Border Village scheme will naturally be available to the border villages of Himachal. Friends, Today our focus is on building the best digital infrastructure in the world. We are working on modernization of health services across the country. We are creating critical health care facilities at district and block level under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. Work is underway to have a medical college in every district. Moreover, now the son and daughter of a poor mother can also realize the dream of becoming a doctor. In the past, their dreams of becoming doctors remained unfulfilled if they did not have schooling in English. Now we have decided to promote mother tongue in the medical and technical education so that the child of the poorest of the poor and even the child of the villages can become a doctor without being a slave of English. Friends, The scope of best institutes like AIIMS in the country is being extended to the far-flung states of the country. AIIMS being built in Bilaspur is a direct proof of this. Now the people of Himachal will not be compelled to go to Chandigarh or Delhi. Friends, All these efforts are also accelerating the development of Himachal Pradesh. When the economy is strong, road connectivity, internet connectivity and health services improve, it also boosts tourism. The way India is increasing the use of drones, the remote and hilly areas of Himachal and our country are going to benefit a lot. Brothers and sisters, A strong foundation has been prepared for the 100th year of independence i.e. 2047 in the last eight years. There is only one mantra for these accomplishments during this ‘Amrit Kaal’ and that is ‘Sabka Prayas’ (everyone’s efforts). All should join, unite and grow together. We have to work with this spirit. Our generation has got this good fortune after so many centuries and generations. So, let’s take a pledge that we will play our active part in this call of ‘Hum Sabka Prayas’ (our combined efforts) and discharge our every duty. Today, people are part of this program from every block of the country. Today crores of people across India are connected with Shimla. Today I am talking to those crores of countrymen from the land of Shimla. I extend many good wishes to those crores of countrymen. May your blessings continue so that we can keep working hard! With this spirit, I thank you once again from my heart. Speak with me: Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Thanks a lot!