Citizens, not govt, can make India developed nation, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said only citizens and not the state or Central governments can turn India into a developed and self-reliant country.

He was speaking at a function organised in Chanduvav village near Veraval town in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district to welcome 'Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra', a countrywide initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month to bring government schemes at the doorstep of needy citizens.

"The government, be it state or Central, cannot make India a developed country. Only 130 crore citizens, not anyone else, can turn India into a developed and self-reliant country," said Shah.

The Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is an attempt to uplift the lives of 70 crore needy citizens, Shah said, and urged officials to aim for 100 per cent saturation of all schemes so that no person is left behind.

According to Shah, there were two 'Bharats' that existed before 2014 - one where people had everything and another where 70 crore people were deprived of even basic necessities such as toilets at home, gas and water connections, health care and enough food grains.

"Modi (after assuming office in 2014) took a resolve to uplift the lives of these people and introduced various schemes such as opening bank accounts, providing cooking gas cylinders, providing toilets and water connections, five kg free ration every month and Kisan Samman Nidhi, among others," Shah said.

Shah said small and marginal farmers are now getting Rs 6,000 every year under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

"Many governments had promised farm loan waivers to get votes. But it was Narendra Modi who ensured that farmers having less than 2.5 acres of land don't need to take loan because Rs 6,000 given by the government would cover the cost of fertilizers, seeds and pesticide," he said.

Shah said the concept of Vikasit Bharat or a developed India has two different objectives.

While one objective is to have the best education system, best infrastructure and making India a manufacturing hub, another objective is to make sure that everyone has their own house, access to toilet facility, water connection and gets 5 kg free ration.

"We can call India a developed country only when we achieve this. We have taken a resolve to ensure no is left behind. That is why this Yatra will visit each and every village panchayat of the country by January 26 so that those who are not covered yet can fill up the forms and register themselves for these schemes," Shah said.