New Delhi: Taking forward the idea of Jan Bhagidari, The Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today interacted with Social Workers, Entrepreneurs, Researchers, Stakeholders & Experts in a free and constructive exchange of ideas using the MyGov Portal. The informal dialogue was aimed at facilitating a free flow of ideas and suggestions from various stakeholders and subject experts from various fields. MyGov is government of India’s citizen engagement platform which aims to promote active citizen participation in India’s governance and development.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Tomar hailed the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his untiring efforts towards laying a strong foundation for a new India and ushering in a new era of transparency in governance. He congratulated Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the successful completion of 4 years and for all the achievements and initiatives taken by the government for making the fruits of growth and development reach all Indians equally. He said that this government has shown good intentions (Achi Neeyat) and given a good stable policy (Achi Neeti) along with a strong leadership (Netritva) which has led to a transformation in governance and has shown a positive impact on the lives of people.
Speaking about the landmark Goods and Services Tax (GST) reform ushered in by PM Modi, Shri Tomar said that GST had been in limbo for 10 years due to the previous government under UPA which failed to provide decisive governance and courageous government. He said that this government has remedied that and brought in landmark reforms to provide further impetus to growth and development. He said that PM Modi has no personal agenda and has been working for the nation to ensure that the economy becomes strong, the malice of corruption and poverty can be eradicated and a clean and transparent government can be given for the service of the nation.
Giving the example of Yog Divas or International day of Yoga, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that it is a good example of how PM Modi has taken India to the world and ensured that India takes its rightful place on the World Stage. He said that India is recognised as the fastest growing economy the world over. Shri Tomar also said that terrorism is a big issue for India and this government has exposed Pakistan of all its lies and deceit and it is thanks to PM Modi that Pakistan stands completely isolated globally.
Talking about the achievements of his ministries, Shri Tomar said that the ministry of Mines was scam tainted during previous government but Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and mission of ushering in a new era of transparency has led to a major overhaul of this sector. He said that auctioning has been made compulsory and this has led to a huge boost to the revenue generated by the government. He said that Rs. 1,11,000 Crore has been accumulated by this government through the auction route. Shri Tomar also highlighted the District Mineral Foundation which has been setup in every district affected by mining to ensure that Miners feel accountable for the Mining area and develop the area without its negative impact on the local environment. He also said that Star Rating mechanism has been developed for Miners so as to ensure that Miners remain accountable for their actions.
Replying to queries about the National RURBAN Mission, the Union minister said that it aims to develop cluster of villages that preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of “Rurban villages. He said that 287 such clusters have been allocated by the Rural Development Ministry with emphasis on Infrastructure Development and Cleanliness. He said that both Centre as well as the states are working on about 300 such clusters.
Talking about the success of the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, Shri Tomar said that after the successful implementation of many schemes under Gram Uday to Bharat Uday Abhiyan and Sankalp se Sidddhi, the Union Cabinet under the leadership of PM Modi decided to hold the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (GSA) from 14th April till 5th May, 2018 to provide government schemes in mission mode to the villages in aspirational districts as identified by the Niti Ayog. He also commended the efforts of officials in making GSA a success by achieving 100% saturation in all the identified villages. Shri Tomar also said that the extension of GSA was done on suggestion by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and a new target of saturating 65000 villages with government schemes has been set for it.
Shri Tomar also highlighted the MGNREGA scheme under which he said a lot of work has been done. He said that a total of 12.65 Crore Job Cards have been given under this scheme. He also said that the ministry has been working hard for making the Payment mechanism quick and strong and also to make all payments on time. He said that 96% of all payments are being done through banks and focus of work is on asset creation. Shri Tomar also hailed the Geo-tagging feature which he said has led to improving the overall transparency.
