New Delhi, August 15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
Saturday said the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme has been accepted by the
government “in principle”, adding that he is expecting a “positive outcome”.
While it was anticipated that he
would announce the implementation of the scheme in his Independence Day speech,
Modi again repeated what has been government’s stand for a while now.
“People of India sleep in peace
because of the jawans. For the 125 crore people of Team India, the soldiers are
national resource,” Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
“Many governments came, OROP came in
front of everyone... Everyone promised, but no solution was reached,” he said.
Modi said even after his government came,
the problem has not yet been resolved.
“I am assuring again, it is not a
person speaking, I am speaking on the behalf of 125 crore people, under the
Tri-colour, from the ramparts of Red Fort... In principle we have accepted One
Rank, One Pension. The phase of discussions is on,” Modi said.
“The trust with which talks are on,
we are expecting a positive outcome,” he said.
No place for casteism and
communalism in India: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
Saturday said there was no place for casteism and communalism and these social
evils should be countered with development.
"Be it casteism or communalism,
there is no place for them. In no way can they be tolerated," Modi said in
his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.
He said casteism and communalism
should be fought with the "nectar of development".
Modi said that unity, simplicity and
harmony are a treasure for the country, and it should never be allowed to get
tainted.
"If the unity is destroyed, the
dreams will also shatter. The poison of casteism, and communalism should not be
allowed to bloom," he said.
"This is Team India, a team of
125 crore Indians. This is the team that makes the nation and takes our nation
to new heights," he said.
Team India will take nation to new
heights: PM
The Prime Minister lauded Team India
- a team of 125 crore Indians - for their efforts in the prosperity of the
country and said the team will take the nation to new heights.
“This is Team India, a team of 125
crore Indians. This is the team that makes the nation and takes our nation to
new heights,” he said.
“This country has progressed due to
Team India. Had the world ever thought that when so many people become a team,
it takes the country to new heights and saves the country,” he said.
He said the participation of people
had been possible via electronic platform such as MyGov.in or letters from
citizens or through his radio address Mann Ki Baat.
“Whatever we are doing and the
places where we are trying to reach is due to the 125 crore strong Team India,
he said.
Modi said Team India was trying to
make “dreams come true”.
Battling
corruption ‘needs lots of measures’
India can be free of corruption but
we "have to start from the top", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
here on Saturday.
Battling corruption will "need
lots of measures", the Prime Minister said.
"It can be done. I am talking
from experience," he said.
"I want to tell the people of
the country that it can become free of corruption. It has to start from the
top. Corruption is eating up our country like termites." "If
you want to get rid of termites, you have to inject medicine everywhere,"
he added.
Coal auction has curbed corruption:
Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
that around Rs 3 lakh crore will come into the government exchequer from the
auction of coal blocks that helped curb corruption.
In his Independence Day speech from
the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said his talk about coal auctions should not
be seen through the political prism.
He said the Comptroller and Auditor
General report on coal allocations during the previous United Progressive
Alliance government had pointed to loss of Rs.1,76,000 crore.
Modi said his government had
conducted auctions in a time-bound manner.
“About Rs 3 lakh crore will come
into the exchequer. Ask yourself. Has corruption gone or not? Did the doors of
corruption in the country close or not. We have done it,” he said.
‘India must be No.1 in start-up’
India must be number one in
start-ups, the Prime Minister said in his Independence Day speech, adding that
the government was looking for systems to enable start-ups in the country.
“In the coming days, start-ups will
be promoted in every corner of the country. Start-up India, Stand up India,”
Modi said from the Red Fort here.
The Prime Minister said that in
addition to the systems to facilitate start-ups, loans would also be given to
help people in their start-ups.
Faced pressure over e-auction of FM
radio: PM
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi
said he had faced pressure against the transparent process of e-auction of
first batch of private FM Radio phase-III channels but he did not yield to it.
Modi said auction of about 85
channels was being conducted, which had yielded over Rs.1,000 crore to the
exchequer.
"A lot of pressure was put on
me in every way...It was said radio concerns the common man. The Team India of
125 crore people wants transparency," Modi said.
‘India
now has new work culture’
The Prime Minister said his
government had unleashed "a new work culture".
"We have emphasised on a new
work culture," he said from the Red Fort here.
Modi also said that his government
had "focused on social security".
PM
hails Swatch Bharat campaign
Modi said the "Swatch
Bharat" campaign had touched every Indian.
Referring to how he spoke about
toilets and cleanliness in his first Independence Day speech from the Red Fort
last year, he said that many had then wondered "what kind of a PM is he,
talking about these issues".
But "if there is something that
has touched every person, it is the movement towards cleanliness," he said
in his second Independence Day address.
"People from all walks of life,
spiritual leaders, media friends, celebrities, everyone has worked to create
awareness (about Swatch Bharat campaign)," he added.
‘17 crore bank accounts opened’
The Prime Minister said 17 crore
bank accounts have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and Rs
20,000 crore deposited under it.
He said the government had achieved
the target set for financial inclusion of the poor by this year's Republic Day.
Recalling that he had announced the
Jan Dhan Yojana in his Independence Day speech last year, Modi said the doors
for financial inclusion had virtually been closed for the poor.
He said the scheme was time-bound
with no scope of dilly-dallying.
Modi said he had seen the
"richness of the poor" as they had deposited Rs.20,000 crore under it
despite option of having zero bank balance. "I bow to them," Modi
said.
"Opening 17 crore bank accounts
is a difficult task. I congratulate the bank staff," Modi said.
‘Financial inclusion will ensure
development’
Modi said the government is focused
on financial inclusion of the poorest sections to ensure that the “base” of the
pyramid of development is firm.
Speaking from the ramparts of the
Red Fort here, he said the government has announced various schemes to ensure
social security.
“There is a school of thought that
financial inclusion is not always good... but if we look at the pyramid of
development in the country, the base is the broadest. If that is strong, the
pyramid will be strong,” Modi said.
He said the poor form this base, and
to make it strong financial inclusion is needed.
“When the purchasing power of the
last person in the line will increase, economy will grow,” he said.
The Prime Minister then mentioned
the Atal Pension Yojna (APY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) as tools of providing social
security.
Keen to club 44 labour laws into
four codes: PM
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi
said the government was working towards clubbing 44 labour laws into four codes
to simplify them for the people.
He said multiplicity of laws was not
good for good governance.
"The law should be clear, to
the point. There are 44 labour laws. We have brought a change. We have given
strength to the scheme to classify them into four codes," he said.
'Saved Rs 15,000 crore on cooking
gas'
Modi said over Rs 15,000 crore had
been saved due to introduction of direct benefit transfer in cooking gas
subsidies.
He said that so far 20 lakh people
have given up their LPG gas subsidy under the “Give it Up” movement.
“We got the LPG gas subsidy under
direct cash benefit transfer... We used the Jan Dhan Yojana and Aadhar cards...
Because of this middlemen and black marketeers have been hit,” he said.
“We corrected the system and Rs
15,000 crore, which was stolen every year in the name of gas subsidy, has been
saved,” Modi said.
Modi also mentioned the idea
propagated by him for economically well-off families to give up cooking gas
subsidy.
Succeeded in bringing down
inflation: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
his government has succeeded in bringing down inflation, and argued that there
was a need to restructure agricultural practices.
"We have succeeded in bringing
it (the inflation) down from double digits to three to four percent despite the
fact that rainfall was low and agriculture suffered," Modi.
He said there was a need for reform
in agriculture.
"We need change in agriculture.
Agricultural land is shrinking, farmers need electricity, water. We have
approved Rs.50,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi SInchai Yojana,"
he said.
The Prime Minister said the new
motto should be "Save Water, Save Fertiliser", and "Per Drop
More Crop".
Modi promises power to 18,500
villages within 1,000 days
The Prime Minister promised to
provide electricity to 18,500 power-less villages in the country in the next
1,000 days.
“There are 18,500 villages in the
country where electricity is yet to reach. If we keep working with old ways,
then maybe we will take 10 years to get electricity poles to these villages,”
Modi said in his Independence Day address.
Modi said he met government
officials and asked them how to proceed in order to provide electricity supply.
“The officials replied that they can do it only by 2019,” he said.
“The country is not ready to wait
that long,” he said.
“So Team India pledges today that
power will reach these villages within the next 1,000 days,” Modi said.
‘India’s future linked with eastern
India’
India cannot develop till its
eastern part develops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.
“We are focused on the development
of northeastern states. This was ignored for many years,” he said.
He also
added that his government was committed to provide electricity to all those
villages that do not have power. — IANS
The Tribune
