"Crores of people achieved financial inclusion; focus on welfare of poor, women in last 9 years": Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
Dec 28, 2023
Cuttack (Odisha) [India], December 28 : Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday attended the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra programme at Athagada block in Cuttack and said that crores of people in the country achieved financial inclusion and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre had put special focus on the welfare of the poor and women in the last nine years.
He also said that guarantees given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bolster the economic power of the nation.
On the occasion, an IEC van, as part of the coveted Sankalp yatra, was flagged off from the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarbananda Sonowal said, "Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, the country is moving ahead confidently towards realising his vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat by the end of this Amrit Kaal. The sustained effort by Modi ji, in his fruitful nine years as the leader of the country has resulted in the welfare of the poor, the marginalised, the women and the youth. We are committed to ensuring the welfare of the people."
"It is heartening to know that as many as 80 crore people received free foodgrains under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. To weed out corruption in the system for maximisation of the welfare of the marginalised, the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' was executed to help people, especially the migrating class," it added.
He further stated that the financial inclusion of the large society has helped implement Direct Benefit Transfer of more than Rs 32.29 lakh crores, with an estimated savings of Rs 2.73 lakh crores by the end of the last fiscal.
"This not only broke the middleman nexus but made the system far more efficient. As many as 13.5 crore Indians were lifted from multidimensional poverty in the last 5 years, with rural areas recording the fastest decline in poverty, from 32.59 per cent to 19.28 per cent. All these could happen due to the visionary policies implemented by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which are guided by the vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Viswas, Sabka Prayas," he said.
At the events held in the Cuttack district of Odisha, Sonowal also interacted with the beneficiaries of the PMSVANidhi and PM Awas Yojana (Urban) schemes launched by the Modi government. 
On the occasion, beneficiaries of schemes from NABARD, PM Kisan, MGNREGS, Swacha Bharat Mission also shared their inspiring tales about how the schemes changed their life experience.
Speaking at the event at the Macchuha bazaar, Sonowal said, "PM Narendra Modi ji believes that everyone must be brought along the ambit of development for an overall and holistic development of our society."
"This has helped marginal communities like Divyangs, tribal communities, street vendors, and traditional craftsmen among others. With the rolling out of policies like PMSVANidhi, and PM Vishwakarma, financial support is being offered for street vendors as well as traditional craftsmen alike. Eklavya Model Residential Schools as well as Van Dhan Vikas Kendras were designed to bring the tribal communities onto the road of development," he added.
Sonowal further stated that the Modi government has ensured that the farming communities are provided with adequate protection through innovative schemes like PM Kisan, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in rice and wheat. Other schemes like Soil Health Cards, Kisan Credit Cards, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) have helped farmers from across the country.
"By building capacity and creating new infrastructure in the healthcare sector, India is moving towards building a robust healthcare delivery system, offering diverse and efficient patient care solutions. As India moves ahead towards becoming one of the top three global economies by 2030, the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has put India in the driver's seat of the world economy as it secures an important role in delivering economic growth for the world," he said.
Targeting Congress, Sonowal said, "India, under Modi ji, had become a major economic country in the world, eclipsing the dark age of Congress governments when corruption and inefficient governance ruled the roost. Modiji's nine years of good governance have delivered what six decades of bad governance by Congress failed to deliver for the welfare of the people."
