Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘Zila Panchayat’ members to work to make various development initiatives a mass movement, urging members to hold meetings to take up three projects as a priority every year.
Addressing virtually a “Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad” of local body members drawn from several states, he said that the “lamp of development has to be lit up in every village, tehsil and district to make India a developed country” by 2047. The conclave was being held at Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu where BJP national president J P Nadda was also present.
The PM also said that ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ is not merely a slogan for the saffron party, and that the party workers should live every moment.
Citing his own experience first as Chief Minister and then as Prime Minister, Modi said those serving in different positions at local bodies should take up some work for their villages and districts as a priority and go all out to make it a success by getting people’s support.
Upon coming to power at the Centre, Modi said he decided to build toilets and open bank accounts for the poor. He noted that getting funds for local bodies was not a constraint anymore and it has risen manifold.
“Earlier, the grant used to be of Rs 70,000 crore, but it is now over Rs 3 lakh crore. We have built over 30,000 Zila Panchayat buildings,” he said, stressing on using part of MNREGA budget for asset creation as well.
Talking about the Vishwakarma scheme announced by him on the 77th Independence Day, Modi urged party workers to make a list of traditional artisans in the villages, and suggest ways of helping them.
“A budget has been allocated to help them with skill development and provide other potent tools…,” he said, adding that the scheme would be launched at a big event on September 17.
(With PTI inputs)