Govt’s focus is on deliverance, says PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government is more attentive to substance, rather than symbolism, for, he said, people's expectations have changed, since India attained Independence 70 years ago. Policy announcements and budgets do not convince them – it has to be shown on the ground.

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 70th anniversary of India's independence, Modi said his government is looking at integrated development rather than isolated development; and empowerment rather than entitlement.

A businessman wanting to invest in this country had to spend more than six months just registering his business. ''However, with this government we have simplified the procedure to an extent that in last July itself, 900 such registrations have taken place,'' Modi pointed out.

He said his government has done away with the interview process for more than 9,000 posts in Group C and D jobs.

Highlighting his government's achievements in infrastructure development, he said where earlier the norms for construction was 70-75 km of rural roads per day, this has gone up to 100 km of a day at present.

He said his government is working towards `One nation, one grid and one price' in the power sector - we have worked on this. On an average, around 50,000 km per day of transmission lines are being laid in a year against the 30,000-35,000 km of transmission lines used to be laid in a year in the past.

He said his government's thrust is on renewable energy. Solar power generation in the country has seen a growth of 116 per cent, which is unprecedented.

While cooking gas was made available to 140 million people in the last 60 years, 40 million connections have been added in just over a year after the new government took charge.

He said, it was equally important to get 210 million people into the network of institutional credit, which was once thought, but happened now.

Now, out of the country's 18,000 villages, more than 10,000 villages are electrified. But, he said, it took almost 70 years to get a village in Hathras, just 3 hours away from Delhi to get electricity.

While 118 stalled projects worth Rs7,50,000 crore are being revived through monthly monitoring at prime minister's level, another 270 projects costing Rs10,00,000 crore that have been languishing for many years have been identified for re-starting.

Modi said stuck projects, delays and wastage of money is criminal negligence.

Giving illustrations of effective delivery, he mentioned clearance of arrears of sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh, new LPG connections, and PSUs such as Air India and BSNL reporting operational profits.

Mentioning the emphasis on transparency, he said subsidies are being better targeted to those that need them.

Modi said international rating agencies have acknowledged the progress in key areas of governance.

Stating that various initiatives and programmes are contributing to employment generation, he said, the Model Shop and Establishment Act will facilitate opening of shops on all days.

Also, Provident fund (PF) portability has been provided to help utilise the Rs 27,000 crore of retirement benefits lying unused because of workers changing jobs or cities.

Stating that his government's motto was transparent and accountable governance, for which steps are being taken with a view to 'reform, perform and transform'.

He cited online registration in major hospitals, promptness in income tax refunds, speeding up of the process of passport delivery, faster company registrations, and ending interviews for Group C and Group D positions in the government as examples of the change taking place in the country.