New Delhi: Speaking to the citizens of India on New Year’s Eve as a part of ‘Mann ki Baath’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has touched upon several important aspects of India’s development. Addressing the nation on the dawn of a new year, he spoke about reforms in banking, rural development, demonetization and other subjects of concern.
Possibly keeping in mind the model code of conduct that will come into force once elections to five state assemblies, including in Uttar Pradesh, are announced next week, the Prime Minister flagged off several schemes aimed at helping the poor.
Only 24 lakh Indians declare income over Rs 10 lakh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was unacceptable that only 24 lakh people in the country have declared that they earn over Rs 10 lakh a year.
“We all see big buildings and cars around us. In the big cities, one can find many people with more than Rs 10 Lakh income,” he said.
The Prime Minister said this fight for honesty needed to be strengthened. “It is natural to discuss what will happen with the corrupt. Law will take its own course”, he mentioned.
People want freedom from corruption
Narendra Modi said thousands of people had written to him about the hardships they faced due to demonetization but the November 8 decision proved that Indians wanted freedom from corruption.
“Corruption had made the people of the country to bow before it without their will. And they wanted to come out of it,” Modi said in his address to the nation on the New Year’s Eve.
Terming demonetization as a “historic cleansing ritual”, Modi said people of the country had taken the biggest “shudhi yagna” after Diwali.
Normalizing banking services priority
Prime Minister said that normalizing banking services, especially in the country’s rural and remote areas, is a priority in the New Year.
“Efforts are on to normalize banking services in the New Year as soon as possible,” Modi said in his address to the nation on New Year’s Eve.
“All the people concerned have been directed to function proactively to normalize banking services, especially in rural and remote areas. They have been told to weed out even the smallest of weaknesses to ensure that problems of villagers and farmers are solved,” Modi added.
Modi announces new housing schemes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that the government would give the rebate of three and four percent on interest rates to the people who seek loans to build their houses in 2017.
“To make the people of the middle class and the poor to buy or build their homes, the government has brought to schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana,” Modi said in his address to the nation.
He said a concession of four per cent will be given to those take a loan of up to Rs 9 lakh and three percent on Rs 12 lakh.
The Prime Minister also said that the government would also build 33 per cent more houses in the villages under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Awas Yojana.
Modi also said that those who want to modify their building or houses, would get three per cent concession on loan of upto Rs 2 lakh.
60-days interest waiver on farm loans from co-op banks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 60-day interest waiver for farmers who have taken loans from district co-operative banks and co-operative societies.
“The government has decided to waive 60-days interest waiver for loans taken by farmers who have taken loans from district co-operative banks and co-operative societies for the Rabi sowing season,” the Prime Minister said in his address to the nation.
“The cost of the 60-day interest waiver will be directly transferred to the farmers account.”
Corrupt will not be spared
Modi commended bank employees for their “exemplary work” after the demonetization move but warned that those indulging in corruption will not be spared.
“Bank employees and authorities along with people have done exemplary work; yes there have been reports of a few indulging in corruption. These people won’t be spared,” Modi said in a special address to the nation on New Year’s Eve.
Rs 6,000 aid for pregnant women
He announced a scheme to provide pregnant women financial aid of Rs 6,000 as part of efforts to bring down the maternal mortality rate.
“The scheme will be applicable across over 650 districts of the country. Under this scheme a pregnant woman will be provided with Rs 6,000 for covering hospital admission, vaccination and nutritional food,” said Modi in his address.
“The money will be directly transferred to pregnant women bank accounts,” he said, adding that “it will greatly help in bringing down maternal mortality rate”.
Currently the scheme is being implemented on a pilot basis in 53 districts with the benefit amount being Rs 4,000.
Transparency in political parties’ finances advocated
He said it was high time for all political parties in India to sit together and discuss ways to bring about transparency in their finances.
“It is time that all politicians and political parties respect the feelings of the honest citizens and understand their anger,” Modi said in his address to the nation on New Year’s Eve.
“It is true that political parties have from time to time made efforts to streamline the system and accepted limitations. Today, there is the need that political parties rise above ‘holier than thou’ attitude and sit together to increase transparency and get rid of black money and corruption,” the Prime Minister said.
He said it is also time to debate holding of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
Schemes and sops announced
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a slew of sops for the poor, farmers and small traders, the groups perceived to be worst hit by the November 8 demonetization that caused widespread economic upheaval in the country.
Striking an emotional note in a speech where he lauded India’s “125 crore people” for bearing with the pain of the demonetisation fallout, he said thousands of people had written to him about the hardships they faced.
Following is the list of sops that the Prime Minister announced during his speech on the eve of the New Year.
* Banks should work for benefit of poor, lower and middle classes
* Two new schemes under PM Awaas Yojna. Home loans for poor and middle class people upto Rs 9 lakh will get 4 per cent exemption on interest and 3 per cent upto Rs 12 lakh
* Sixty days interest waiver for farm loans taken from district co-operative banks and co-operative societies
* Eight per cent interest up to Rs 7.5 lakh deposit by senior citizens in banks has been assured
* Credit guarantee for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises to be raised to Rs 2 crore from current Rs 1 crore
* Pregnant women across India will be given Rs 6,000 in their bank accounts to take care of initial medical needs
* Government will convert 3 crore Kisan Credit cards to RUpay Credit cards
* Banks have been asked to raise cash credit limit for small businesses to 25 per cent from 20 per cent
He thanked people for standing by him despite all the inconveniences which have been brought about by the policy of banning Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
The Prime Minister, however, didn’t give any figures on the amount of old currency deposited in banks after the demonetisation.
PM invokes JP, Lohia, Shastri, ignores Nehru-Gandhi family
Narendra Modi studiously ignored the Nehru-Gandhi family legacy even as he invoked “sons of India” like Jayprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Lal Bahadur Shastri in his much-awaited New Year’s address to the nation.
“Citizens displayed such patience, had Lal Bahadur Shastri, Jayprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia been alive, they would have blessed them,” the Prime Minister said.
Speaking in English later, he also invoked Congress leader K Kamraj, who was Congress president between 1964-1967.
Modi also invoked Mahatma Gandhi, as well as Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
Countrymen’s sacrifices will benefit India
Modi said that sacrifices made by the countrymen will benefit the country.
“The government and public have faith to fight black money. What India did post-demonetization — there is no example in the world,” Modi said.
Modi last time addressed the nation on November 8 to announce demonetization of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to, what he claimed, root out corruption and black money from the country.
