Kolkata, Jun 3 (NIE): Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday claimed that the style of governance has been completely revamped under the Narendra Modi administration at the Centre, making it “completely corruption-free”.
Speaking at an event organised by the PIB at the Kolkata Press Club, the Union minister focused on what the Centre has done for farmers and the rural poor so far.
“I haven’t visited Kolkata much in the past few years. I have come to tell you that with the completion of four years of our governance under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi, we now have a corruption-free government. Our achievement has been one of a transformative government. This is the only government where not a single charge of allegation of corruption has been made against any minister — unlike in the Congress government. One family ruled the country for 48 years, we have been in power for 48 months and have managed to achieve this,” he said.
Javadekar said the power brokers in the government have been removed.
“There are no more dalals in the governments and hotels that dalals would stay in have been destroyed. We have removed middlemen entirely. The distribution of services has been through transparent methods, the distribution of natural resources through auction. The revenue would earlier go to central government coffers, but Modiji had decided that this money would go back to the governments and states it came from. This is true cooperative federalism,” he said, adding the government had enacted a number of anti-corruption legislations such as the Benami property Act.
Positioning the Modi government as pro-poor, the Union minister said, “Rajiv Gandhi used to say that out of every Rs 100 he sent to the poor, only Rs 15 would actually reach the beneficiary. We are proud to say that the full Rs 100 reaches the poor person’s account through our e-transfers. We have introduced over 400 welfare schemes in the forms of grants, scholarships, subsidies which the poor get through direct electronic transfer for 20 crore beneficiaries… We have opened bank accounts for 31 crore poor people. Twelve crore people, that is 5 lakh families, have been provided with accident insurance at Rs 12 premium. One crore people who belong to the unorganised sector and therefore could not avail pension can now do so under different schemes…,” he said.
Javadekar also mentioned a string of achievements including the distribution of LPG connections for rural households and toilets built in 7.5 crore homes, among others.
“Under the Mudra scheme, 12 crore people have received loans to start businesses. This amounts to Rs 6 lakh crore in loans. Our latest survey shows five crore people have started new ventures… While the Opposition may make fun of this with their ‘pakora stall’ remarks, the fact is that these people are not begging but earning a decent living. Farmers’ remunerative prices have been fixed at cost (rate of land rent) plus 50 per cent, which the Congress never did. From this coming Kharif season, these prices will be implemented. And we are granting constitutional status for OBCs which will improve their welfare budget by 40 per cent,” he said.