Balangir (Odisha), Jan 15
“In the last 4 years, we have cancelled around 6 crore fake ration cards, bogus gas connections and people taking benefit of scholarships as well as pension through wrong name. We plugged this leakage, saving crores of money. All ration cards have been digitised and around 80% of ration cards have been linked with Aadhaar,” stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Narendra Modi was today addressing a massive gathering of public in Odisha’s Balangir district. Meanwhile, the PM highlighted BJP-led NDA government’s focus on all-round development of Odisha and also said how the development projects launched today would script a new growth chapter for the state.
BJP-led NDA government’s pro-poor decisions have enraged people who used to loot public money and now they have been deprived of the opportunities to plunder public money, added Modi.
“Odisha has got more than Rs 4,000 crore due to our decision to create District Mineral Fund (DMF). It will help in the development of the tribal areas where mining is carried out. However, unfortunately, the state government hasn’t been able to spend that money for the welfare of the tribals,” pointed Modi.
He further added that in a month, more than Rs 20,000 crore of development projects have been either inaugurated or initiated in Odisha. Development projects of over Rs 1,500 crore in sectors like education, connectivity, culture and tourism, that have been kickstarted today, will not only spur the growth of Odisha but also of eastern India.
He also shed light on the 10% reservation for the economically weaker people belonging to the general category and how the move was aimed at ensuring equal rights for everyone.
“There was a time when sculptures were stolen from temples. Today, we are making efforts to bring them back from other countries. Odisha held immense cultural significance. The government at centre was leaving no stone unturned to promote the rich cultural heritage of the state,” stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, he also cited how efforts were being made to preserve ancient temples.
He said that such initiatives would give a boost to heritage tourism in the state as well as create employment opportunities for the people of the region.
At the rally, PM Modi said that the Central government was committed to enhancing connectivity across the state. In this context, he highlighted about the expansion of railway as well as air connectivity, which he said, would greatly benefit people of the state.
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