MUMBAI: In the last ten years, 60 crore people have been brought into the economic mainstream by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure, said Union home and co-operatives Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday at an investment summit in the city.
India’s marketplace whi-ch earlier comprised 70 crore people has been expanded to 130 crore, he said. Shah was speaking at the IGF Annual Investment Summit–NXT 10 at BKC. The summit was attended by chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. Union minister Piyush Goyal too was present.
Shah said the audience may think of it as a poll speech but, in fact, it was about economics. “Keeping 60 crore people out of the economy no country can walk on the path of progress. These 60 crore were not contributing to the economy as they had neither a bank account nor purchasing power. By giving them basic amenities in the last ten years, PM Narendra Modi brought them into the economic mainstream,” he said.
Shah said 10 crore families were provided gas cylinders, 12 crore families toilets, 14 crore piped water connection, 11 crore farmers given Rs 6,000 per month, four crore housing, 60 crore provided free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh and 80 crore given free food.
“By taking care of their basic needs, Narendra Modi has enabled them to aspire for a scooty, a small TV, think about their child’s education. He has linked 60 crore people to development,” said Shah.
Under Modi’s leadership, a confident, self-reliant nation has emerged, he said. He wiped out a sense of inferiority by shifting Ram Lalla from a tent to a temple and building the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor.
Shah said in the last ten years more than 50 policy decisions have been taken to change India’s course. He cited demonetisation, introduction of Goods and Services Tax, resolving the issue of Non-Performing Assets, extending the reach of digital transactions, a new education policy amongst these decisions.
Shah said the stock market had risen from 22,000 to 73,000 in the same period. Number of direct tax payers has increased to 8 crore and indirect tax payers to 1.4 crore.
Shah said the central government has a development plan for up to 2047, the centenary year of independence. At the end of it, India would not only be a developed nation but the third largest economy in the world.
“The country’s goals are to become the world’s third largest economy worth $5 trillion by 2027, export $2 trillion worth by 2030, build a space station by 2025, host the Olympics in 2036, send a man to the moon by 2040 and become a fully developed nation by 2047,” he said.tnn
