Government will not go back on its promise on black money: Modi

Marking the third anniversary of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday vowed not to go back on the government's fight against black money and said he was ready to pay any price for that campaign.

"The first decision of our government was against black money... All those who have black money and benami property, their children drive most expensive motorbikes in the world... If that money has been earned through corruption, we will get it out and return it to the people," Modi said on Friday.

"I know we will have to pay the price for this, I am ready to pay any price, but I will not go back on my promise to the people," Modi said, adding that the people of India wanted honesty.

Speaking at Guwahati, the Prime Minister said that there was a time when people talked only about 'Kala Dhan' (black money) but under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, people are talking about 'Jan Dhan' the government programme for opening zero balance accounts for the poor.

The Prime Minister added that soon people will talk about Digi Dhan or digital money.

Attacking opposition parties over the issue of demonetisation, Modi said opposition leaders tried hard to fuel anger among the common people, but it did not work as people supported the government.

"It was a tough decision and politicians at that time said a lot to fuel anger among people... Despite the efforts, people were not misled and they had faith in the government and the Pradhan Sevak (Prime Servant)," Modi said.

The Prime Minister also said that he was in Assam to mark three years of his government, while the previous governments were focused only on Delhi.

"Earlier there was a tradition that Delhi was most important on such occasions," Modi said.

"For us, every corner of India is Delhi, that is our culture," he said.

Modi said that in the course of on a single day, in the form of the bridge over river Brahmaputra and an Agricultural Research Institute in Goghmukh, Assam got projects worth Rs 3,500 crore.

He also said the government is working towards doubling farmers' income by 2022, and for that project Rs 6,000 crore will be provided. He said that Foreign Direct Investment would be invited for setting up food processing units, so that farmers can earn more through value addition to their produce.

The Prime Minister was in Assam to inaugurate the strategically crucial and India's longest 9.15-km river bridge connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh near the China border on the third anniversary of the BJP government.

--IANS

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