PM Modi presses for `middlemen mukt Bharat'

DAVANGERE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who always stressed for `Congress-less India’ sang new tune of `Middlemen Mukt Bharat’ in `Vikasa Parv’ event, organized to highlight achievements of union government in past 2 years, here on Sunday.
Inaugurating the `Ujwala’ scheme, aimed to provide free LPG connections for poor families, he recalled that earlier it was difficult to get cooking gas connection for poor.`As members of parliament had some quota to provide LPG connections, 100-200 people were falling behind them to get connections. And that 100-200 people were touts, who were selling connections to rich families. It was reported in media that MPs were selling their quota in blackmarket. Getting a LPG connection was not lesser than getting a medical seat for our wards. Now we are putting end to such menace of middlemen by providing connections directly to genuine beneficiaries’ he claimed.
Narrating a story on Indians trend of reserving another seat in buses just to keep it vacant for their easiness, he appraised that same Indians are sacrificing subsidy of LPG to help others. `It’s just a sign of `Developing and Transforming India’. Indians, who had responded to appeal of Mahatma Gandhi to quit school-college for a year seeking independence and appeal of sacrifice food for a time in a week, are now responding to my small appeal and as of now 1.13 crore families have surrendered subsidy of LPG. It’s not question of money, but question of trust between government and public. Seeing this response, I am dreaming of helping mothers of 5 crore families, who are still deprived of LPG and burning their life with traditional wooden stoves. These mothers are breathing smoke that is equivalent to smoke disseminated by 4,000 cigarettes. One should think condition of their families and damage caused to environment. We aim to facilitate such mother with smokeless stoves in next 3 years’ he explained.
He also said that earlier mothers used to sell their ornaments and fathers were hypothecating their assets to get a government job for their wards. `There used to be interview, influence, recommendation. We have removed this process for group C and D posts to rescue job seekers from middlemen. They are getting jobs based on their score secured in written test and list prepared by computer’ he mentioned.
Elaborating on E-marketing launched for farmers, he said that now farmers are glancing price for their produces on their mobile. `Now farmers, who were losing their profits to middlemen, are now feeling that it’s their produce and their price’ he asserted.
Emphasizing on direct payment to sugarcane growers, he said that Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have been highest growers of sugarcane growers. As there were many complaints from growers’ fraternity that they are not getting full payment for their crop, we introduced the system of making payment directly to their account opened under Jan Dhan scheme. This is also a first of its kind in the nation. As middlemen were looting farmers and country as well, we are ensuring to relieve farmers fraternity to clutches from middlemen. Meanwhile we told sugar factories to produce ethanol to enhance their profit. This idea was there from years but previous government had not implemented due to pressure of petrol lobby. Now after usage of ethanol in lorries and other vehicles, mileage is increased and environment pollution is being minimized. We also saved foreign exchange by this initiative and prescribed minimum support price for ethanol’ he stated.
Emphasising on Jan Dhan scheme, he said that banking sector was nationalized to strengthen poor people of the nation. `However, banking sector and nation as whole had forgotten the intention. When we stressed on need of financial inclusion through Jan Dhan accounts, many bankers expressed worry of cost and other hurdles. However, after introducing it, our poor people showed their richness of Rs 37,000 crore by depositing in their zero balance accounts. It shows that people’s mindset is changed and country is also changing’ he boasted.
He appreciated bureaucrats by saying that they are also changing their mindset and started thinking and working sensitively.
He further said, `When we can’t get a tea at Re 1, ofcourse it was available at this rate when I was selling tea, we introduced Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana. Now one third of population, including farmers and poor are availing this scheme by paying Rs 365 per year. This secured life will definitely provide education, earning for poor families’ he hoped.