Modi pitches for schemes to make poor self-reliant

Ruing that the schemes designed by the previous governments for uplift of poor will only make them more dependent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today stressed on the need to frame policies which will ensure dignity with self-sufficiency to the needy.

"A person breaks down completely when he becomes dependent on others. In such a situation, he would think of dying instead of living such life. There is no better thing than bringing such persons out from that miserable situation," Modi said during a function at Mahatma Mandir here.

The Prime Minister lamented over the prevailing schemes and programmes running in the country and said these would only make the poor under-confident and dependent on the government. "Due to our bad luck, the schemes and programmes that run in our country are such that they make poor people dependent on government instead of making them self-dependent and self-confident. If government programmes stop, the poor will die of hunger," Modi said.

"Can't we change this situation. God has given us hands, intelligence, education and in the same way he has given all those things to dalit, tribal and poor. What he has not got is opportunity. If he gets opportunity, he would also not like to live a life of dependent," Modi said.

"We have to give them chance to be self-reliant. They also want to live life with self-respect. They will get self-respect if they are given an opportunity to stand on their own feet. Self respect of this country depends on self-respect of each of the 125 crore people of India," he said.

On his 64th birthday today, Modi inaugurated 11 new welfare schemes of Gujarat government for uplift of youth, women, people under BPL category along with schemes of medical services for poor. The schemes were promised in this year's budget of the state government.

Modi also remembered Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of self-reliance.