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On his birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed the need to form policies that make the poor and downtrodden self-reliant and allow them the opportunity to live with dignity. This, according to Modi, will ultimately make the country proud.
Addressing a function held by the State Government at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Modi said “unfortunately” previous Governments ran schemes and programmes that made the poor more dependent instead of making them self-reliant.
“If there were no Government schemes, they (poor) get no work and starve. Can we not change this situation? All that the poor need is an opportunity. That will make them self-reliant and ultimately make them proud of themselves. The self-respect of this country depends on the self-respect of each of the 125 crore people of India,” he told the gathering at ‘Swavalamban Abhiyan programme’, where he launched 11 schemes for making women, the youth and the poor of the State self-reliant.
The 11 schemes include financial assistance to women members of milk cooperatives for procurement of equipment and setting up of ‘Dudh Ghar’. Schemes were also launched for financial assistance to labourers for sickness expenses, building houses and interest subsidy to young entrepreneurs and artisans.
Modi also launched a scheme for distributing tablets to students who have opted for computer courses at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). About 1,000 students from across the State will benefit from the scheme.
The Prime Minister also noted women’s role in Gujarat’s successful milk revolution. He said the schemes announced by the Gujarat Government would empower women and give them financial independence.
“Gujarat has earned a reputation in the dairy and milk cooperative sector. It is the hard work of women which has made it possible. These women, who own 20-40 cows each, are at the root of Gujarat’s success in milk revolution,” Modi said in his address.
After becoming Prime Minister, this was Modi’s first visit to Mahatma Mandir, which was his brain-child and one of the ambitious projects that he personally took interest in. Farmers, labourers and young men and women from across the State attended the function and greeted Modi on his birthday.
Gujarat Governor O P Kohli and Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, along with senior ministers and Government officials, were present at the event.
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