Describing the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and their representatives as the essential messengers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Welfare Schemes, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that Panches, Sarpances as well as the elected representatives in Block and Disctrict Councils have an opportunity to play a distinct role in reaching out to the last man in the last queue, at the grossroot level, and ensuring for providing him the benefit of each of the pro-poor and welfare schemes introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the last 8 years.

Addressing a gathering of the representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the presence of Uttar Pradesh State Minister for Panchayati Raj, Choudhary Bhupinder Singh and others, Dr Jitendra Singh observed that right from beginning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given priority to the empowerment of PRIs and to strengthen them to empowering the man standing at the last end of the shore. He recalled how Prime Minister Modi has ensured elections of District Councils in Jammu & Kashmir for the first time after seven decades and had also gone ahead with Panchayat elections in spite of resistance from certain opposition parties in the State.

The importance that Prime Minister Modi accords to the PRIs is borne out of the latest example of the ‘Panchayati Raj Diwas’ held in the month of April for which Prime Minister chose to hold the programme at Palli Panchayat near Jammu and from there he addressed the PRIs across the country. It is, therefore, now also the responsibility of the PRIs to ensure that not a single deserving citizen is left out from getting the benefit of schemes like PM Awas Yojna, Ujjwala Yojna, PM Garib Kalyan Yojna, PM Kissan Nidhi, Swachhata Yojna, etc, he added.

The Minister called for 100 percent coverage of beneficiaries and complete awareness of pro-people, pro-poor welfare schemes introduced by Prime Minister Modi. He said, this is fully in tune with Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of Antyodaya, which means rise of the last person.

Dr Jitendra Singh exhorted the PRI representatives to work in close coordination with district administration to ensure that no one should be left behind from every scheme for the welfare of the poor. He also asked each beneficiary of the scheme to add at least two more deserving persons to help achieve the saturation target.

Quoting from the Prime Minister’s recent speech at ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’ in Bharuch, Gujarat, Dr Jitendra Singh noted that in 2014 almost half of the country's population was deprived of facilities like toilets, vaccination, electricity connection and bank accounts. He said, over the years, with everyone's efforts, the Centre has been able to bring many schemes closer to 100% saturation and after 8 years, there is a need to rededicate ourselves with renewed determination and resolve.

*****

SNC / RR