People's cooperation needed to make India poverty-free: Narendra Modi

'My aim is to ensure sustainable development of all states,' said PM

Seeking people's cooperation to make India poverty-free, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said BJP is synonymous with development which is talking place in all the party-ruled states even as he sought a political change in Odisha.

"We have heard 'garibi hatao' slogan for 40-50 years. The intention of those who gave it might not have been bad but poverty, unemployment and diseases increased as the path chosen for it by them was wrong path," he said.

Addressing a public meeting here on completion of two years of his government, Modi said from the day one he had made up his mind to prepare schemes that would help eradicate poverty.

"In my first speech in Parliament, I had stated that my government is dedicated to the welfare of the poor. My aim is to ensure sustainable development of all states," he said.

Describing himself as the 'pradhan sevak' of the country, Modi said he had come down to Balasore and Odisha to explain what his government has done for the poor.

"We are accountable to the people," the Prime Minister said while asking the gathering whether Naveen Patnaik had ever given an account to the people.

Modi said, "When people are convinced about a government's sincerity, only then it is possible for the government to move forward. I want people-government partnership to fight poverty and, therefore my government is trying to empower the people. There should be an integrated way of development so that all the states move forward in an even manner."

Holding that all BJP-ruled states were developing in a faster manner, he said Odisha has lagged behind as his party is yet to be in power the state while asking the people to work fora change.

"You can look at the condition of states where BJP is yet to get a foothold," he said, apparently taking a dig at the Naveen Patnaik government.

Modi said, "The time has come one has to think why western part of our country is more developed than the eastern.

"Odisha is a state where natural resources are plenty but it's people are neglected and the state is lacking development."

Noting that development created all-round happiness, the Prime Minister said to attain that goal the states and the Centre must have good understanding.

"Our government is giving importance to infrastructure development like in rail, road, education sectors. The schemes should involve the people or else they will remain only on paper," he said.

Elaborating on schemes initiated for the poor by the central government, the Prime Minister said these steps have brought confidence among the people as well as given them socio-economic well-being.

He said 'Janani Surakshya Yojana' and other schemes have been helpful for such people.

Modi criticised gender discrimination prevalent in the society and said the central government has vowed to eliminate such discrimination by initiating 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojna'.

He said immunisation programme like 'Indradhanush Yojna', various informal education schemes like 'Anganwadi' meant for the five to six-year-old, mid-day meal, 'Sukanya Sambrudhi', toilets for school children and others have yielded results.

"We have to empower the poorer sections to conquer poverty," he said, adding the NDA government is working in that direction.

He said his government has been successful in taking power to 7,000 of the targeted 18,000 unelectrified villages in 300 days. Remaining work will be done within 1000 days as targeted, he said.