Cong couldn’t understand for 4 decades how important it was to implement Panchayati Raj system: PM Modi

Chandigarh, August 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the Congress, saying it could not understand for four decades after Independence how important it was to implement the Panchayati Raj system in villages.

“No concrete efforts were made to strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions during the Congress rule,” he said after inaugurating via video conference the ‘Haryana Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad’ workshop, a two-day BJP event being held in Faridabad’s Surajkund.

The prime minister said the country today is moving ahead unitedly to realise the goal of a developed India and to fulfil the resolutions of “Amrit Kaal” – the period till centenary of India’s independence.

“During the 25 years of journey of this ‘Amrit Kaal’, we have to keep in mind the experiences of past decades,” he said.

“The Congress could not understand for four decades after Independence how important it was to implement the Panchayati Raj system in villages,” Modi said.

They also left the Zila Panchayat system, established later, to its own fate, he added.

“As a result, two-thirds of the country’s population living in villages were left longing for basic necessities such as roads, electricity, water, banks, and houses… This negligence is the very reason why, even after seven decades of independence, around 18,000 villages in the country still lacked access to electricity,” Modi said.

Touching upon several steps taken for farmers’ benefit, the prime minister said, “Modi’s guarantees are not electoral promises. When Modi gives his guarantee, he translates them into reality on the ground.” BJP chief JP Nadda, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, state BJP chief OP Dhankhar and other BJP leaders were present during the event in Surajkund, in which Zila Parishad chairpersons, Zila Panchayat heads and others from various northern states connected with BJP including those from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were among the 182 delegates present.

Nadda said the next workshop in this series will be held on August 12-13 in Howrah in West Bengal in which 134 delegates will take part.

Hitting out at the Congress, Modi said no concrete efforts were never made the strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions during the Congress rule and most of the exercise remained limited to papers and figures, and added Jammu and Kashmir is the biggest example of this.

In 2019, after Article 370 was scrapped, for the first time elections from gram panchayats to district level were held. More than 33,000 representatives were elected and for the first time democracy at grassroots was established there, he said.

Today the country is moving ahead unitedly to realise the goal of a developed India and to fulfil the resolutions of Amrit Kaal, he said.

The road to a developed India goes through tier 2 and tier 3 cities and through villages which are becoming modern, he said, adding a new hope and energy is visible in the hinterland and in small towns.

“The district panchayats have the great power to usher in a change in any sector. Therefore, in this context, your role as BJP representatives becomes very important,” he told the delegates present.

Addressing the BJP representatives, Modi said they have to take the benefits of the Panchayat system to the last person standing in the queue.

“Today the central government is working with the target of 100 percent saturation of every scheme. This is possible only when we achieve this goal in every village,” he said.

“And when we are able to achieve 100 percent coverage of beneficiaries, then ‘jativaad, parivarvaad, mera-tera’ (casteism, nepotism and favouritism) do not remain, there is no scope of corruption and in real sense social justice is there,” he said.

During the past nine years, several schemes have been started for farmers, he said, adding such a system has been created for the farmers from seed to market which reduces the cost of farming and increases the income.

“In 2019, when we started PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, people said it was because of polls we were doing it. Modi’s guarantees are not electoral promises. When Modi gives his guarantee, he translates them into reality on the ground,” he said.

Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Rs 2.60 lakh crore has been deposited directly in farmers’ accounts.

He said farmers get a bag of urea fertiliser for less than Rs 300 whereas it costs Rs 3,000 in some countries, adding the government here takes the burden so that farmers don’t have to bear it.

“Through Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers have got Rs 1.30 lakh crore compensation…,” he said.

He also touched upon the positive impact of several central schemes that improved socio-economic condition of rural women and added that in the last nine years, 50 crore bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana have been opened and majority of the beneficiaries are women.

Referring to the Quit India Movement anniversary on August 9, the prime minister reiterated that it was a historic day and said the whole country is roaring ‘Quit India’ for every corruption, nepotism and appeasement.

“There should be only one voice ‘corruption, quit India’, each child should say ‘dynasty, quit India’,  ‘appeasement, quit India’,” said Modi.

Modi asked the representatives of Zila Parishads to put in their efforts of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign ahead of August 15.

Modi said, “Today such an image of the BJP has developed in which the poor believe ‘where there is a lotus sign (BJP poll symbol), there is welfare of the poor’.” He said, “I am confident that through this workshop, we will be able to give new direction to the role of Zila Panchayats for building a developed nation.” The Digial India campaign gave birth to a digital revolution in rural areas, the prime minister said, adding that before 2014, less than 100 gram panchayats were connected with optical fibre cable in the country as against two lakh now.

Stating that ‘Swadeshi Andolan’ started on this day, Modi asked panchayat members to be vocal for local and promote local products.

He asked Zila Parishad representatives to buy products through GeM portal and said with this, “money will be saved, corruption will end and there will be prompt delivery. He laid stress on buying Make in India products during coming festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Deepwali, etc.

Modi also told the BJP representatives to identify products and farm produce from each district that can reach the global markets and then work towards promoting them. Banaras Paan has also got a GI tag, he said citing an example.

He also pitched for framing Zila Panchayat Development Plan.