Namaskar,
My family members,
The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has completed two months. The ‘Vikas Rath’ (Development Chariot) that is moving in this yatra is the ‘Vishwas Rath’ (Confidence Chariot), and now people are also calling it the ‘Guarantee Wala Rath’ (Guarantee Chariot). There is belief that no one will be left behind and no one will miss the benefits of any schemes. Therefore, in the villages where Modi's guaranteed vehicle has not yet reached, people are now eagerly waiting for it. Initially, we had planned this yatra until January 26, but with so much support and increased demand, people from every village are saying that Modi's guaranteed vehicle should come to their place. Since I came to know about this, I have told our government officials to extend it a bit beyond January 26. People need it and there is a demand, therefore, we have to fulfil it. Therefore, maybe after a few days, it will be decided that Modi's guaranteed vehicle will continue in the month of February as well.
Friends,
When we started this yatra on November 15 with the blessings of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, we did not imagine its success to be so great. In the past few days, I have had the opportunity to connect with this yatra several times. I have had conversations with many beneficiaries. In just two months, the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has transformed into a people's movement. Wherever Modi's guaranteed vehicle is reaching, people are welcoming it with great enthusiasm. So far, 15 crore people have joined the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra. And our Health Minister Mansukh Bhai has shared many statistics with you. This yatra has reached approximately 70-80 percent of the country's panchayats.
Friends,
The primary objective of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was to reach those people who, for some reason, have been deprived of government schemes until now. And Modi respects and inquires about such individuals who have not been taken care of. If one were to study, they would find that the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is the best medium for last mile delivery campaigns. Health check-ups were conducted for more than 4 crore people during this yatra. Over 2 crore people were screened for tuberculosis during this yatra. In tribal areas, screening for sickle cell anemia was done for more than 50 lakh people.
The saturation approach in the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has brought the government to the doorsteps of so many marginalized individuals. More than 50 lakh Ayushman cards have been distributed during this yatra. More than 50 lakh people applied for insurance schemes. Over 33 lakh new beneficiaries were added to the PM Kisan Yojana. More than 25 lakh new beneficiaries were added to the Kisan Credit Card scheme. Over 22 lakh new beneficiaries applied for free gas connections. More than 10 lakh people applied for the PM SVANidhi scheme.
And friends,
These numbers may be just figures for some, but for me, each number represents a life, a fellow Indian brother or sister, a family member who was excluded from the benefits of government schemes until now. Therefore, our effort is to move towards saturation in every sector. Our effort is to ensure that everyone gets the guarantee of nutrition, health, and treatment. Our effort is to provide every family with a pucca house and every house with the facility of gas connection, water, electricity, and toilets. Our effort is to expand the scope of cleanliness. Every street, every neighbourhood and every family should be included in it. Our effort is to ensure that everyone has a bank account and an opportunity of self-employment.
Friends,
When work is done with good intentions, and efforts are made honestly, the results also follow. The recent report on the reduction of poverty in Bharat is very encouraging. Not only in Bharat, but the world is also looking at Bharat’s perspective, the model of governance, and the path developing countries can take to overcome poverty. The fresh report (which came just a few days ago) suggests that nearly 25 crore people have come out of poverty in the last 9 years of our government. The reduction of poverty in Bharat was once considered unimaginable, but the poor of Bharat have proved that if they are given resources, they can overcome poverty.
In the past 10 years, the way our government has established a transparent system, made genuine efforts, and increased public participation, it has made the impossible possible. One can understand how the government is working for the poor through the PM Awas Yojana as well. In the last 10 years, more than 4 crore poor families have been provided with their own pucca houses. The success of providing pucca houses to more than 4 crore poor families is a significant achievement and the poor are pouring in blessings. What's interesting is that registrations for more than 70 percent of these houses have been in the names of women, making our sisters the owners. This scheme has not only helped lift people out of poverty but has also assisted in empowering women.
The size of houses in rural areas has also been increased. Earlier, the government used to intervene in how houses should be built, but now people are constructing homes according to their preferences. The construction of houses under housing schemes has been expedited by the government. In the previous administrations where it took more than 300 days for houses to be built, the average construction time for PM Awas houses is around 100 days. This means we are building pucca houses three times faster than before and providing them to the poor. This speed is not just the speed of work; it's the speed of our hearts, the love for the poor in our hearts that propels us, making the work happen quickly. Such efforts have played a significant role in reducing poverty in the country.
Friends,
An example of how our government is giving priority to the uplift of marginalized communities is the transgender community, often referred to as the 'Kinnar' community. Just now, I was in detailed conversation with a representative of the transgender community, and you might have heard about it. Nobody bothered about the transgender community for decades after independence. It is our government that has, for the first time, addressed the difficulties faced by the transgender community, prioritizing making their lives easier. In 2019, the government enacted a law to protect the rights of the transgender community. This not only provided the transgender community a respectable position in society but also helped eliminate discrimination against them. The government has issued transgender identity certificates to thousands of people, as mentioned by the transgender community representative, who stated that everyone now has an ID-card. The government has plans for them, and the transgender community is also helping us. As revealed in a conversation just now, members of the transgender community are continuously benefiting from various schemes for the welfare of the poor.
My dear family members,
Bharat is changing, and it is changing rapidly. Today, people's self-confidence, their trust in the government, and the commitment to building a new Bharat are visible everywhere. Just two days ago, I was talking to people from the extremely backward tribal community in the PM JANMAN campaign. I interacted with people from the tribal community. I observed how the women of tribal villages are collaboratively planning the development of their villages. These are women from villages where, despite decades of independence, the benefits of development schemes did not reach them. However, these women are well informed and actively engaged in ensuring that the benefits of government schemes reach their families and communities.
In today's program also, we witnessed how joining self-help groups has brought unprecedented changes to the lives of our sisters. Before 2014, forming self-help groups in the country was merely a bureaucratic program confined to paperwork, often organized for the sake of political programs. The economic strength and expansion of the work of self-help groups were not initially prioritized.
It is our government that has connected self-help groups with banks on a larger scale. We also increased the loan limit without collateral from 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs. In the past 10 years of our government, nearly 10 crore sisters have joined self-help groups. They have received assistance from banks for self-employment exceeding 8 lakh crores. This is not a small figure, and it reflects our commitment to empower these poor mothers. I have full confidence in these mothers and sisters. I believe that if they are given opportunities, they will not lag behind. Thousands of sisters have started new enterprises, and 3 crore women have become empowered as women farmers. Lakhs of sisters across the country have become prosperous and self-reliant.
Further accelerating this initiative, the government has initiated the task of creating 2 crore "Lakhpati Didi" in three years. To provide new means of employment for women associated with self-help groups, Namo Drone Didi has been launched. While discussions about Chandrayaan (lunar mission) are essential, envision the sight when the sisters from my self-help group would operate drones, assisting in agricultural work in villages. Under this initiative, 15,000 drones will be made available to Namo Drone Didis. Training programs have been started for them, and I am pleased to announce that training for more than a thousand Namo Drone Didis has already been completed. Due to Namo Drone Didis, the income of self-help groups will increase, their self-reliance will grow, the village sisters will gain new self-confidence, and, importantly, it will be beneficial for our farmers.
My family members,
The top priority of our government is to modernize the rural economy and empower farmers. Therefore, the government strives to enhance the strength of small farmers, reduce their agricultural expenses, and ensure they receive better prices in the market. Keeping this in mind, the government launched a campaign to create 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in the country. Today, nearly 8,000 FPOs have already been established.
The government is making efforts for the protection and security of livestock as well. We have heard about people getting the COVID vaccine, saving lives; the praise for it, that Modi administered the vaccine for free, life saved... the family saved. But beyond this, what is Modi's vision, what does he do? Our farmers and those involved in animal husbandry suffer losses of thousands of crores of rupees every year due to diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease among animals.
This also affects milk production. To address this challenge, a massive campaign has been launched for the first time after independence. Under this initiative, more than 50 crore animals have been vaccinated so far. The government has spent more than 15,000 crores on this campaign. The result of this campaign is that milk production in the country has increased by more than 50 percent. This has benefited livestock keepers and farmers, and the country as a whole.
Friends,
Today, Bharat is one of the youngest countries in the world. Continuous efforts are being made in the country to enhance the potential of the youth, and the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is also contributing to this. Numerous quiz competitions have been conducted during this period. Additionally, talented players from every corner of the country are also being honoured. I am pleased to note that a large number of our youth are registering as 'My Bharat Volunteer' in the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra. Crores of people have pledged to make Bharat a developed nation during this yatra. The energy to build a developed nation is derived from these resolutions. We are all committed to completing the journey towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. I believe that you will also join this campaign. Once again, I express my gratitude to those with whom I had the opportunity to converse, and for welcoming and honouring Modi's guaranteed vehicle in such large numbers, thank you all very much.
