New Delhi: He does not see himself as the Prime Minister, but as the ‘pradhan sevak’ of India, Narendra Modi said in Shimla Tuesday, speaking to a crowd on the eighth anniversary of the BJP government at the Centre.
“Only when I sign forms, do I discharge the responsibilities of a PM. When the file is gone, I am just a ‘pradhan sevak’ of 130-crore people who are everything to me. My life is also for you,” Modi told the cheering crowd at Shimla’s Ridge Maidan.
The Prime Minister listed before the audience his government’s achievements in the last eight years. Borders are more secure now than at the end of the Congress-led coalition in 2014, he said. Covid vaccination continued its robust march – “nearly 200-crore doses so far”, he added.
The Prime Minister also said his government had channeled funds more effectively by removing nine-crore fake names from the list of beneficiaries.
He said: “Earlier talks used to be about ‘atki, latki bhatki’ schemes… nepotism, scams… but today, talks are about benefits from government schemes… Today, India’s startups are being talked about globally. Even the World Bank talks about India’s ease of doing business.”
Modi said the international community had also taken note of India’s decreasing poverty.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the “double engine” government in Himachal — BJP in power at the Centre as well as the state – has “tried to develop the state” in the last four years. Thakur was confident of another stint in power in the upcoming assembly elections.
“The relationship between the people of Himachal and our Prime Minister is very strong,” he said.
At the event, Narendra Modi interacted with several beneficiaries of different government schemes, releasing Rs 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore farmers.
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