Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at the inauguration of several government projects at Silvassa (Dadra and Nagar Haveli)
Posted On:
17 APR 2017 4:35PM by PIB Delhi
Mr Praful Bhai Patel, Administrator of Daman, Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli on the dias, Mr. Natu Bhai, MP from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Mr. Lalu Bhai, MP from neighbouring Daman and Mr. Raman Kakva, President of District Panchayat, Chairman of Silvassa, Bhai Rakesh Chauhan Ji and my dear brothers and sisters of Dadra & Nagar Haveli who are present herein large numbers.
Will you do one thing? Please take out your mobile phones and let us begin this grand show by turning on the lights of the phones. Each one's mobile phone should glow. See all the camera-men are recording you. Everyone's hand should be raised in the air. Shake the hands above. Shake your mobile phones. See the stars are twinkling. Look at the strength of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Speak aloud, Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! (Victory to Mother India!)
You have done a splendid job today.
The people of the country or of any part of the world would have been surprised to see this programme that a small place like Silvassa, occupying a small area of the country, with a small share in the parliamentary seat but the crowd present here today is even bigger than that of any rally in the country. Brothers and sisters, the Union Territory is administered by the centre whether it is Dadra & Nagar Haveli or Daman and Diu; but usually the people were not even aware of the government! They used to consider the collector as the government. For the first time after Praful bhai came here as the administrator that every citizen started feeling that they are being protected by someone in Delhi and that someone from Delhi is concerned about their happiness and sorrows. The people of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu had such a positive feeling for the first time. Otherwise they had assumed that there was no Government and since Delhi was far way there was no one to address their issues. But we have proved that even the smallest of the small areas and poorest of the poor citizens has the same right over the country as a person sitting in Delhi. Therefore, it is the country of 125 crore citizens who are the rulers of their country. It is the responsibility of every citizen to transform the fate of every citizen of this country. I was told that the last time any Prime Minister visited this place was about 35 to 40 years ago. The citizens who have turned 35 years old would not even remember whether this small place was ever included in the list of any Prime Minister. The last time about 35 to 40 years ago the former Prime Minister of India Shri Morarji Bhai Desai ji had visited this place. After that I got this privilege to visit this place as the Prime Minister. But this is not the first time that I have come here. Hardly there would be any Panchayat which was not visited by me. I used to go around on the scooter. You would find several families here who would tell you that “Modi ji used to come here and used to have meals with us. He used to have tea with us”. I got the opportunity to roam around in this entire region and because of that I am familiar with your problems. I am familiar with the possibilities of development of this region. In a way Silvassa and Daman have become Mini India. People from every corner of India can be found here. When lands were being leased out to the tribal people, the best work was done in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time. The then Government of India and the Ministers from Congress used to instigate the tribals and spread lies. They used to tell that Modi government did not give any land to the tribal people. When I came to power in the centre I was astonished! Where the responsibility directly lies with the officers of the central government and state government has no role, yet the state government was being accused! The government in the centre that was ruling for so many years used to blame the state governments and make false accusations. I am pained to say that the tribal brothers of Dadra & Nagar Haveli were also not given any land lease. It was not expected of them. When we came to power and appointed Praful bhai for its administration we asked to find out all the schemes that were not implemented. Earlier the government officials used to prefer union territories for service. They used to think that they can lead a lavish life there by taking care of the MP. Isn't that the truth? But now this is not the Congress government, but Modi government. Work has to be done for the public. A lot of hard work and toiling needs to be done. I am working with this objective. Consequently, today thousands of families are being given the lease of land today. For the first time thousands of tribal families who were holding these lands for several generations but didn't have the piece of paper to prove that it was their land are now getting their rights over the land. Today I congratulate the Administrator of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and his entire team for doing this great job of giving the land rights to the tribal brothers and sisters. I am getting this great opportunity to hand-over this letter of rights to thousands of families.
Brothers and sisters,
2325 tribal families receiving rights over land, is the greatest event of this region since independence, the biggest event! You can imagine the immense joy and satisfaction of my mind. Those glowing mobile phones were for my tribal brothers.
Brothers and sisters,
The year 2022 will mark 75 years of independence. Several people had laid down their lives for the country's freedom. Can't each Indian have a dream for 2022? Shouldn't everyone sitting here have a thought and a desire of doing something for the country by the year 2022 when 75 years of independence will be completed? Close both the fists and tell me that you will do. You will do it for the country, not for yourself. You will make at least smallest of the contribution. It will create an environment in the entire country where 125 crore Indians will be determined to do something for the country. Then no one can stop India from progressing. We have a dream. By the time India completes 75 years of independence in the year 2022 there should not be any poor person who does not have his own house. The poorest of the poor should have his own house or not? Brothers and sisters, according to a survey, 6234 families in Dadra & Nagar Haveli do not have their own house and in an urban centre like Silvassa 800 families do not have houses. The work of providing these 7000 families their own accommodation is being launched today. So, I congratulate my poor families. The way you have illuminated the area with your mobile phones, we want those houses to be electrified in the same manner. We want to provide such houses with facilities like electricity connection, water supply, toilets and schools and hospitals in the neighbourhood.
Brothers and sisters,
Today we have accomplished another important work and that is providing gas connection and gas ovens. We are also gifting pressure cookers and gas lighters. Brothers and sisters, look at the mentality of the politicians of our country. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, on the one side was the Bharatiya Janata party that had declared me as the Prime Ministerial candidate and the contesting party was the Congress. The political parties make promises during elections. The Congress party had held a meeting in Delhi for framing election strategy. Thereafter, they held a press conference. Try to recall the announcements made in that press conference. They had said that they would win the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and form the government. They promised to increase the capping on gas cylinders from 9 to 12. They fought the elections on this promise. They were asking for votes on this issue of cylinders. You will be astonished to know that few years back MPs used to get 25 gas coupons every year and they used to give those coupons to their relatives and workers for providing gas connection. We would read in newspapers that those MPs used to even sell those coupons in black market. Ultimately this practice of giving coupons to the MPs was discontinued. This meant that the common man had to queue up outside the houses of these MPs for availing gas connection. You also must have taken so much pain to get a gas connection. Brothers and sisters, when our government came to power I thought that what's the fault of my poor mothers that they cook with firewood. Friends, you will be shocked to know that when one mother cooks using firewood, the amount of smoke that enters her body is equal to that of 400 cigarettes. Can you imagine the condition of that mother? Then, small children also play at home and the mother cooks food inside the house. This smoke enters the bodies of these small children too. Can you imagine the condition of health of these children? Brothers and sisters, I was also born in poverty. My mother used to burn firewood. I have seen how the smoke used to engulf the entire house. I have seen this myself and experienced it. At that time I had decided to rid my poor mothers of this and brothers and sisters we have taken this responsibility of providing free gas connections to poor families. It has been 11 months since we started this programme and till now gas connections have been provided to 2 crore families. I am happy that today 8000 families of Dadra & Nagar Haveli will also be given gas connections. But due to the efforts of the people here, these families will also get pressure cooker and gas lighter. This is the special case here. I congratulate you all for this campaign.
Brothers and sisters,
Steps have been taken to provide some utility items to my 'Divyang' brothers and sisters. Electric vehicles have been provided. Those who cannot see are being given modern sticks so that they can sense any object through the sensors. Earlier the governments used to make schemes but our government has organized 5000 camps till date and has provided services to lakhs of divyangs through these camps. Earlier, in 30 years hardly 50 camps used to be organised and the funds remained unused. Brothers and sisters, governments are meant for the poor and their welfare. Therefore, our government puts up camps in different districts, finds the divyangs and provides resources from the government's treasury so that they can lead their lives with confidence. We are working in that direction.
Brothers and sisters,
Today Jan Aushadhi medical centres have also been launched here. We know that falling ill has become so expensive, even if it's a happy family, a middle class family or a family where both the husband and the wife are earning, if someone in the family falls ill, the entire finance of the family collapses. They are unable to get their daughters married or purchase a property. The medicines are so expensive! Even the doctors' visits are expensive. Brothers and sisters, we have made a list of 800 medicines and talked to the pharmaceutical companies. We asked them why they were hiking the price of the medicines. What will they do with so much profit? Everyone fell in line. The medicines that used to cost 1200 rupees are now sold at 70-80 rupees and the medicines that used to cost 300 rupees are now sold at rupees 7 or 10. The poor people should also get timely access to medicines. He has the right to live. Only a strong government can bring changes. Today, these Jan Aushadhi centres are being launched in Dadra & Nagar Haveli so that the poor can get whatever medicines are prescribed by the doctor from these medical stores. There is no difference in these medicines. If someone is spreading the rumour that these are ineffective because these are cheap, don't believe him. We won't let the poor to be exploited. We won't let a middle class person to die. Therefore brothers and sisters, we came up with these schemes. I observed that when the topic of Wi-Fi arose, all the youngsters were extremely happy. As the inauguration of Wi-Fi was shown on television, a wave of happiness swept through. This is an example of a transformed new India. They feel that it has become a part of life. Brothers and sisters, I want you all to do one thing. Will you do it? This week voice won't do any good. Tell me will you do it? I can't hear it from this side. Tell me will you do it? Download the Bhim app on your mobile phones. Not only this, you should also help the traders in your area to download this app. Now while making a payment for gas cylinder tell him to download the Bhim app and make payments through that app. And make it a habit brothers and sisters. Since you are enjoying the Wi-Fi services make your mobile phones your banks. Make your mobile phones your wallet. In this way a business can be run through less cash. Brothers and sisters, I have waged a war against corruption. Tell me brothers and sisters whether corruption should end or not? Whether the country should be governed with honesty or not? How will it be possible without your help? Tell me whether you will help? One of the ways by which you can help is by using less cash. Start making transactions through Bhim app. All the paths of black marketing and corruption will close. Therefore, I need your help. I have made a new scheme for all those youngsters who want to earn during their vacations. If you make your transactions through the Bhim app and teach another merchant or another person to download the Bhim app and help him to make transactions at least 3 times, then your mobile phone will be credited with 10 rupees by the Indian government. If you help 20 people with this in a day, then your phone will be credited with 200 rupees. If you do this in 3 months of your vacation then you can easily earn 18 to 20 thousand rupees. Every youngster of this country should earn at least 20000 rupees in this vacation through the Bhim app. “Now I don't have to ask for money from my parents. I would avail the benefit of Modi ji's scheme. We will propagate about the Bhim app. I will explain about this app to 20 people every day and earn 200 rupees.” We can do this job, brothers. Tell me will you do it?
Brothers and sisters,
Many schemes have been started here. I am not mentioning all the plans. So many plans simultaneously - house for the poor people and the tribal people, Wi-Fi for the youngsters, employment for the youth and gas connections for the mothers and sisters. No one is left behind. Probably for the first time in the history of Dadra & Nagar Haveli so many schemes and benefits have come in its way since independence. Close both the fists and say along with me Bharat Mata Ki Jai (victory to mother India). Not like this. Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Thanks a lot!
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AKT/AK/IG/MG/AK
(Release ID: 1510392)
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