Poor's blessing to bring NDA back to power: Swaraj

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Friday said the NDA would come back to power again with the "blessings" of poor people who have received food and houses at affordable prices and medicine for free in Modi government's rule.

She said about 22 crore people in the country were benefited under the welfare schemes of the BJP-led NDA government for poor, particularly, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

"Our government took care of food, house, medical treatment for poor people. So will not they give us blessings? Their prayer is the will of God," she said while speaking at the party's two-day National Council meet here.

"These people are making only one prayer that Modi government should come back to power again. And their blessing would not go in vain for sure."

Swaraj said benefits under National Food Security Scheme, in which wheat is provided at subsidized Rs 2 per kg and rice at Rs3 per kg, were restricted to just 11 states during the UPA government. However, all states and union territories were brought under it by the Modi government.

She also said the PMUY had not just provided women with gas connections but it had contributed in their empowerment. Similarly, 1.5 crore houses were allotted under PMAY and 50 crore people were given medical insurance of Rs10 lakh each under Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The number of beneficiaries under various schemes designed for poor would touch 25 crores mark in next three months' time, the minister said.

She also introduced a resolution seeking welfare of poor people in the council meeting.

"(Former Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi had sadly said only 15 paise of Re 1 issued by the government would reach the beneficiary. We are happy that entire amount our government issues reaches to beneficiaries," she said.

--IANS

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