PM hands govt houses in Maha, gets emotional
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to make India one of the top three global economies and uplift the poor through welfare if re-elected. He made the comments ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, a key event for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi also dedicated 90,000 houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna scheme and laid the foundation stone for eight Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation projects.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that putting India on the list of top three global economies and ensuring the upliftment of the poor through welfare is a “Modi guarantee”, underlining that his government was inspired by Lord Ram’s principles of governance and making a pitch for his party ahead of this year’s general elections.
Modi was speaking in Solapur town in Maharashtra, days ahead of the January 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, a landmark event that will fulfil one of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s core ideological promises and will likely be a key part of the party’s manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“Putting India on the list of top three global economies is a Modi guarantee and I will achieve the goal with your blessings in my third term,” he said.
During a ceremony at Kumbhari in Solapur on Friday, Modi dedicated 90,000 houses built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) in Maharashtra. He also handed over keys to houses in the RAY Nagar Housing Society to 15,000 beneficiaries, which included workers from the textile and unorganised sectors, such as beedi workers and rag pickers.
In a choked voice, the PM said he wished he had had the opportunity to stay in such houses when he was young. “Happiness comes when people’s dreams come true. Their blessings are my biggest investment,” he said.
This township was promoted by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former Solapur lawmaker Narsayya Adam, who shared the dais with Modi. The PM also laid the foundation stone of eight Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) projects worth around ₹2,000 crores and initiated the distribution of the first and second instalments of PM-SVANIDHI scheme to 10,000 beneficiaries in Maharashtra.
Governor Ramesh Bais, chief minister Eknath Shinde, and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar attended the function.
Urging people who got the houses to light the Ram Jyoti on January 22, Modi said it will be an inspiration to eradicate poverty from their lives.
“Lord Ram did the work that made his people happy. My government is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of the poor. We launched schemes to mitigate their hardships,” he said, adding that the role of middlemen was completely eradicated in his government’s welfare schemes.
The comments came just days before Modi presides over the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple.
Modi reached out to the Padmashalis by sharing his ties with a family from the community in Ahmedabad and said they used to invite him for meals. He also paid respect to the Yogi Siddheshwar, a deity worshipped by the Lingayat community. Both Padmashali and Lingayat communities have strong presence in Solapur and the adjoining districts of western and central Maharashtra.
Modi urged the Vishwakarma community to get the benefits of the PM-Vishwakarma scheme made for them.
Modi used the function, attended by large numbers of unorganised sector workers, to reach out to the economically weaker sections; a large part of his speech was dedicated to emphasise how schemes implemented by his government were beneficial for the poor and changed their lives in the last 10 years.
He repeatedly used the word Modi ki Guarantee — first used in the recently concluded polls in three heartland states — to underline his promises.
“Earlier governments only gave slogans of Garibi Hatao (remove poverty). My government implemented various schemes like housing, building toilets, medical insurance for free treatment. Welfare-upliftment of the poor is Modi ki guarantee,” he said.
He called upon the poor to dream big and assured them that he will work to fulfil their dreams. He also added that only after his government came to power in 2014 and started Jan Dhan Scheme, millions of people got bank accounts and became eligible for various loan benefits.
While selecting the beneficiaries to hand over the keys of homes, organisers ensured symbolism — the first was the late Vijay Dasari from the Padmashali community, the second Sunita Mutyappa Jagale was from the Mochi community and the third was Rizwana Lal Mohammad Makandar from the Muslim community.
The Congress hit back, saying Modi was touring the state frequently as the BJP was not getting support in Maharashtra, “Maharashtra follows ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Whenever there was an attempt to finish democracy, Maharashtra stood by democracy and Constitution. PM Modi is visiting Maharasthra again and again as he realised that BJP will face a big defeat in state,” said state Congress chief Nana Patole.
