Jai Bhawani, Jai Bhawani, Jai Sevalal! Jai Birsa!

Greetings to everyone!

The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Ramesh Bais ji, Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde ji, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis ji and Ajit Pawar ji, and all other distinguished dignitaries present on the dais. Today, a large number of our farmer brothers and sisters from various parts of the country are also participating in this event, and I welcome them as well.

Brothers and sisters,

I respectfully salute this sacred land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I also pay homage to the son of Maharashtra and the pride of the country, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Ram Ram to the brave Banjara brothers and sisters of Yavatmal-Washim region.

Friends,

When I came to Yavatmal for the "Chai Par Charcha" program 10 years ago, you blessed me abundantly. The people of the country gave the NDA more than 300 seats. Then, I visited Yavatmal again in February 2019. Once again, you showered us with love, and the nation gave the NDA more than 350 seats. Now, as I join the celebration of development before the 2024 elections, a unified voice echoes across the entire nation. This time... beyond 400 (seats), this time, beyond 400 (seats)... this time... beyond 400 (seats)! I see before me mothers and sisters who have come in such large numbers to bless me. What greater fortune in life can there be? I specifically extend my respects to these mothers and sisters of villages. The immense blessings from regions like Yavatmal, Washim, Chandrapur, and all of Vidarbha have predetermined the victory... NDA government... beyond 400 (seats)! NDA government... beyond 400 (seats)!

Friends,   

We are people who regard Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as an ideal. It has been 350 years since his rule. When he was crowned, everything was available to him, and he could have comfortably enjoyed the power. However, he did not indulge in power; instead, he held the consciousness and the power of the nation supreme. As long as he lived, he worked for this purpose. Like him, we too have set out with a mission to build the nation, to change the lives of the citizens. Therefore, what we have done in the past 10 years is the foundation for the next 25 years. I have resolved to develop every corner of Bharat. Every cell of the body, every moment of my life, is dedicated to the service of all of you for the success of this commitment. The four top priorities to make Bharat developed are -- the poor, the farmer, the youth, and women empowerment. If these four are empowered, every society, every class, every family in the country will become empowered.

Friends,

Today, significant work has been done to empower the poor, farmers, youth, and women in Yavatmal. The inauguration and dedication of projects worth thousands of crores of rupees associated with Maharashtra's development have taken place. Today, farmers are getting irrigation facilities, the poor are getting pucca houses, economic assistance is being provided to my sisters in the villages, and infrastructure is being developed to shape the future of the youth. The projects aiming to improve the rail connectivity of Vidarbha and Marathwada and new trains have commenced today. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you for all these achievements.

Friends,

Remember the situation when the INDI alliance was in power at the Centre. At that time, the Agriculture Minister was from Maharashtra. Back then, packages were announced for Vidarbha's farmers from Delhi, but the funds were embezzled in the middle. Villages, the poor, farmers, and tribal communities received nothing. Look at today's scenario: I pressed a button, and within no time, 21,000 crore rupees under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme reached the accounts of millions of farmers across the country. 21,000 crore rupees is not a small figure. This is Modi's guarantee. When the Congress government was in power, out of 1 rupee sanctioned from Delhi only 15 paise reached the beneficiaries. If the Congress had been in power today, out of the 21,000 crores you have received, 18,000 crores would have been embezzled in the middle. But in the BJP government, every penny of the poor reaches them. This is Modi’s guarantee -- every beneficiary gets their full entitlement, every penny goes into their bank account.

Friends,

The farmers of Maharashtra have a double guarantee with a double engine (government). Recently, an additional 3800 crore rupees was transferred to the farmers of Maharashtra. This means that the farmers of Maharashtra are receiving 12,000 rupees annually under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

Friends,

Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, more than 3 lakh crores have been deposited in the accounts of 11 crore farmers across the country so far. This has resulted in 30,000 crores for the farmers of Maharashtra and 900 crores for the farmers of Yavatmal. Imagine how much this money is benefiting small farmers. Just a few days ago, our government made a record increase in the remunerative price of sugarcane. Now, the remunerative price for sugarcane is 340 rupees per quintal. This will benefit millions of sugarcane farmers and field labourers in Maharashtra. Just a few days ago, the world's largest plan to build grain storage warehouses in our villages was launched. These warehouses will be managed by our farmers' cooperative societies. This will especially benefit small farmers. They will not have to sell their produce at a low price under duress.

Friends,

It is crucial for the rural economy to be strong for ‘Viksit Bharat’. Therefore, over the past 10 years, our continuous effort has been to alleviate the problems of every family living in the villages and provide them with economic stability. Who can know better than Vidarbha about the importance of water? Whether it is drinking water or irrigation water, there was a crisis in the villages of the country before 2014. However, the government of the INDI coalition at that time had no concerns about it. Think about it, only about 15 out of 100 families had piped water supply in the villages of the country from independence until 2014, and most of them were poor, Dalit, backward, and tribal families who did not benefit from it. This was a major crisis for our mothers and sisters. To address this situation and relieve the crisis of our mothers and sisters, Modi gave a guarantee of ‘Har Ghar Jal’ (water to every home) from the Red Fort. Today, piped water has reached about 75 out of 100 rural families within 4-5 years since then. In Maharashtra too, where fewer than 50 lakh families had water through pipelines, today there are approximately 1.25 crore piped water connections. That's why the country says - Modi's guarantee means a guarantee of fulfilment.

Friends,

Modi had given another guarantee to the farmers of the country. Congress governments had left around 100 major irrigation projects hanging in balance for decades. Now more than 60 of them have been completed and the rest are in progress. Among these stalled irrigation projects, Maharashtra had the highest number with 26 projects. Every farming family in Maharashtra, especially in Vidarbha, has the right to know the consequences of whose sins their generations had to endure. Out of these 26 stalled projects, 12 have been completed, and work is progressing rapidly on the remaining ones. This is the BJP government that completed the Nilwande Dam project after 50 years. The Krishna Koyna Lift Irrigation Project and the Tembhu Lift Irrigation Project have also been completed after decades. Most of the work on the Gosikhurd project has also been completed by our government. Today, 51 projects have been inaugurated for Vidarbha and Marathwada under the PM Krishi Sinchai and Baliraja Jal Sanjivani schemes. This will provide irrigation facilities to more than 80,000 hectares of land.

Friends,

Modi has also given a guarantee to make the sisters of the villages ‘Lakhpati Didis’. So far, one crore sisters in the country have become ‘Lakhpati Didis’. In this year's budget, we announced the goal of making three crore sisters ‘Lakhpati Didis’. Now, I am committed to achieving this resolution. Today, the number of sisters and daughters in self-help groups has crossed 10 crores. These sisters have received 8 lakh crores from banks, and the central government has allocated a special fund of 40,000 crores. In Maharashtra, sisters associated with savings groups have also benefited significantly. Today, these groups have received assistance of more than 800 crores. Many sisters have also been provided with e-rickshaws in the Yavatmal district. I commend the entire government of Maharashtra, including Shinde ji, Devendra ji, and Ajit Dada, for this initiative.

And friends,

Now, sisters are operating e-rickshaws but soon they will also fly drones. Under the Namo Drone Didi Scheme, training for drone pilots is being provided to groups of sisters. After that, the government will provide these sisters with drones, which will be used in farming.

Friends,

Today, the inauguration of the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay ji has also taken place here. Pandit ji is a person of inspiration for Antyodaya (upliftment of the last person). His entire life has been dedicated to the welfare of the poor. We all draw inspiration from Pandit ji's thoughts. The past 10 years have been committed for the welfare of the poor. For the first time, a guarantee of free ration has been provided. For the first time, the facility of free healthcare has been made available. Today, the campaign has been launched to provide Ayushman cards to one crore families in Maharashtra. For the first time, magnificent pucca houses have been built for millions of poor. Today, a special scheme has been launched for the construction of homes for OBC families. Under this scheme, 10 lakh pucca houses will be built for OBC families.

Friends,

Modi has taken care of those who were never taken care of and worshipped them. No significant scheme was ever made for the Vishwakarma and Balutedar communities. For the first time, Modi launched the PM Vishwakarma Yojana with a budget of 13,000 crores. During Congress's time, the tribal society was always kept at the bottom, not provided with facilities. But Modi has also cared about the most marginalized communities within the tribal society. For the first time, the PM JANMAN Yojana costing 23,000 crores has been started for their development. This scheme will provide a better life to many tribal communities in Maharashtra, such as the Katkari, Kolam, and Madiya. This campaign to empower the poor, farmers, youth, and women is going to gain momentum further. The next five years will witness even faster development. The next five years will make the lives of every family in Vidarbha better. Once again, congratulations to everybody and all the farmer families. Say with me:

Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

Thank you very much.

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of the PM's speech. The original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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DS/VJ/VK/AK