Modi wants BJP's presence in every district

The BJP should have offices in every district across India to expand its presence and convey the government's achievements to the people, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The prime minister "has advised us to strengthen the party by opening its offices in every district for conveying to the people our government's programmes and achievements," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters.

In his valedictory address to over 300 members of the Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive here on Saturday, Modi advised them to make best use of the government's various welfare schemes like Antyodaya Anna Yojana, which provides subsidised food to the people below poverty line.

"The party's leaders and cadres should also make best use of Pandit Deendayal Upadhaya's year-long centenary from September 25 to reach out to the people, especially the poor and the downtrodden," Modi told the delegates, including central ministers, chief ministers and senior party leaders such as L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.

The prime minister also exhorted the party's rank and file to popularise the government's Swachch Bharat programme as it was closely linked with the health of the people, especially the poor and weaker sections whose welfare is closely linked to hygiene and cleanliness.

"The Swachch Bharat campaign will ensure better healthcare of the poor as it will reduce their expenses on treatment and medicines. It will also keep them healthy. The party should take its message up to the village level for benefitting even the rural people," Jaitley said, giving excerpts of Modi's address.

Modi also wanted party leaders and cadres to convey to the people how a false campaign was carried ahead of the NDA government's formation in May 2014.

"A false campaign was carried before our government was formed that price for natural gas would be increased from $8.4 per million Btu (British thermal unit). Instead of raising the price, we reduced it to less than $5," Jaitely said quoting Modi.

Accusing the Congress of benefitting only the rich by doing them favours in gas price and in allocating spectrum or coal blocks, Modi said that by holding transparent e-auctions, the NDA government had made the wealthy (beneficiaries) pay for it.

"And the money from the auctions will go for the development of tribal areas. Similarly, we substituted wealth tax with special surcharge to tax the super rich and create additional resources for the states," Modi said on the concluding day of the two-day meeting here.