Govt committed to bring power to all households by 2019: Piyush Goyal

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said the Centre is committed to supplying electricity to every household in the country by 2019.

Addressing the 'Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit' at Rashtrapati Bhavan here, the Minister called upon the international community to act in unison for making the world a better place for children.

"Why wait for 2030 for the sustainable development goal of power to reach every house? Fourteen years is too long a time and too significant for our children. If we have to make a difference, we have to make it now.

"The Modi government assured of electricity to every house by 2022. But I have made it a personal mission to see that electricity reaches every home by 2019 so that children get equal opportunity for a better life," said Goyal.

"I think this is small debt that our generation owes to our children," he said.

Hailing the summit that brought together around 25 laureates and leaders, Goyal said it was time for the world to come together and battle child labour, trafficking and slavery.

"Let us shake the world's conscience; let's tell the world that we have to work together to make a difference to the children of our times. If we can't together stand up for children, we will not be standing up for anything much," he said.

Piyush Goyal lauded students of Kashmir for taking Class XII board examinations amid continuous unrest and terror threats.

"Schools in the Kashmir valley were burnt but I salute the grit and determination of the students of Kashmir who, despite terror threats, came out in large number for the board exams. Over 95 per cent of the students took the exams despite adversity," he said.

Enumerating the various child rights schemes of the Narendra Modi government, Goyal said education is a potent weapon to battle discriminations and prejudices faced by children.

The second and concluding day of the summit saw the likes of Nobel Peace Prize winners Tawakkol Karman and Leymah Gbowee, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Panama's first lady Lorena Castillo sharing their vision for creating a child-friendly world.