India no. 1 in digital payments, rural economy is transforming: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India is number one in digital payments and the country's rural economy is transforming.

Addressing the Civil Services Day here in the national capital he said, "India is number one in digital payments. India is one of the countries where mobile data is the cheapest. Today, the country's rural economy is transforming."

PM Modi said that this year's 'Civil Service Day' is very important as it is a time when the country has completed 75 years of its independence. He said it is a time when the country has started taking rapid steps to achieve the gigantic goals of the next 25 years.

"I would say this to every civil service officer in India today you are very lucky. You have got the opportunity to serve the country in this period...We have less time but we have a lot of potential, our goals are difficult but our courage is not low, we may have to climb a mountain, but our intentions are higher than the sky," the Prime Minister said.

He said that no matter how great our yojanas are, no matter how good they look on paper, the last-mile delivery is the deciding factor.

"The civil servants are preparing the country for a big leap. They have given hope of good governance to the poor and speeded up development in India," said PM Modi.

Lauding the work done by the civil servants, he said that if the country has gained momentum in the past nine years it would not have been possible without their efforts.

"In the last 9 years, if even the poorest of the poor of the country has got the confidence of good governance, then your hard work has also been there in this. If India's development has gained new momentum in the last 9 years, it was also not possible without your participation. Despite the Covid crisis, today India is the fifth largest economy in the world," he said.

"The government is working with the vision to serve everyone by efficiently using their time and resources. Our mantra continues to be the nation first, citizen first," he added.

'Civil Services Day' is observed on April 21 every year to acknowledge the work of all the officers engaged in different public service departments in the country.