Aim to double farmers’ income by 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday suggested them to promote coarse grain to add to their income as well as to provide nutritious food grain.
Prime Minister’s suggestion came while thousands of farmers are on indefinite strike for over 100 days against his government seeking withdrawal of three farm laws enacted in September last year during Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Coarse grains refer to cereal grains other than wheat and rice or those used primarily for animal feed or brewing. These grains are warm-season cereals valued for their food, feed and fodder uses in various parts of the world.
The Prime Minister touched upon the UN recognition of year 2023 as International Year of Millets and stressed the need to promote coarse grain as it will not only provide nutritious food grain but will also add to the income of the farmers.
The Prime Minister was addressed the ‘Janaushadhi Diwas’ celebrations through video conference.
He dedicated to the nation the 7,500th Janaushadhi Kendra at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong during the event.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister noted that the Janaushadhi Yojana is becoming a big friend of poor and middle class families. It is becoming the medium of both service and employment.
Dedication of 7,500th centre of Janaushadhi at Shillong is an indication of spread of Janaushadhi Centres in the Northeast.
The scheme is providing affordable medicine to people in hilly areas, Northeast and tribal areas, Modi noted.
He said that dedication of 7,500th center is important as there were not even 100 centres in India six years ago.
The Prime Minister asked to achieve the target of 10,000 centres, saying “poor and middle class families are saving about Rs 3,600 crore every year on expensive medicines”.
Modi said that the scheme is promoting ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) among women as more than 1,000 centres are being run by the women.
The Prime Minister remarked that in order to promote the scheme, incentive has been enhanced from 2.5 lakh to 5 lakh with additional incentive of 2 lakh for Dalit, Aadivasi women and people of the Northeast.
He cited Swachch Bharat Abhiyan, free LPG connections, Ayushman Bharat, Mission Indradhanush, Poshan Abhiyan and recognition to yoga to illustrate the holistic nature of the Government approach towards health.
Pointing out the enormous burden of medical treatment on the poor families, the Prime Minister said that in the recent years, efforts are being made to remove all types of discrimination in the treatment and medical treatment has been made accessible to every poor person of the country.
For this, Modi said, prices of essential medicines, heart stents, knee surgery related equipment have been reduced manifold.
He said Ayushman Yojana has ensured free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, for the country’s more than 50 crore poor families. So far more than 1.5 crore people have taken advantage of it and saved about Rs 30,000 crore.
The Prime Minister lauded the scientist for the Made in India Corona vaccine and said, “Today, India has vaccines not only for local use but also for helping the world.
He stressed that the government specially kept the interest of the poor and middle class in mind for vaccination. “The vaccination is free in the government hospitals and private hospitals are charging just Rs 250 which is the lowest in the world.”
While addressing the ‘Jan Aushadhi Diwas’ celebrations through video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the ‘Jan Aushadhi’ scheme is fast becoming the medium of both social service and employment. These schemes are becoming a boon for the poor sections of society and especially the middle class families.
“The Jan Aushadhi Kendras are providing a source of income to the youth along with making medicines available at affordable rates. There are more than 1,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras which are run solely by women. This scheme also gives a boost to make the daughters of our country ‘Self-reliant’ or ‘Aatmanirbhar’. The scheme is helping to deliver affordable medicines to the countrymen living in the hilly areas, north-east and the tribal areas,” Modi added.
The Prime Minister said, “Today the 7,500th Jan Aushadhi centre has been inaugurated in Shillong. How much the public health centres are expanding in the north-east. It is significant to have reached the 7,500-mark because there were not even 100 such centres in the country six years ago. We want to meet the target of 10,000 as soon as possible. This scheme also opens up a new dimension of potential in the pharmaceutical sector.”
Today the demand for ‘Made in India’ medicines and surgical devices has also increased. Increased demand has also led to hike in productivity which has helped to generate employment opportunities, Modi added.
In his first public rally after announcement of dates for the eight-phase Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday went full-throttle against the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal.
Countering Trinamool’s ‘Khela hobe’ campaign slogan, he said: “Trinamool ka khela khatam, vikas shuru… What game have you not played with people of Bengal? Extortion, corruption… you even played with the lives of people. Your game is up,” he said, mocking the Trinamool.
He said the next 25 years are very important for the development of Bengal as the development here in the next 5 years will lay the foundation for it.
Modi said that ‘Ashol Poriborton’ (real change) in Bengal means where trade and business would flourish, where maximum investment would come. “‘Ashol Poriborton’ means Bengal will have modern infrastructure of the 21st century,” he said, asking “Has change come in Bengal? Have you got what was promised?”
Preparing a roadmap for the upcoming polls, he also urged people to vote BJP fearlessly and vote against bad governance. Modi said that he never saw such a huge turnout in any political rally ever in his life. He said that his visit was targeted to reassure the people of Bengal that the BJP would work towards a better tomorrow.
“Let me assure you that we will leave no stone unturned to develop Bengal. We want Bengal to be full of employment opportunities so that people do not have to go out. Real change means 21st century infrastructure, more investment, comprehensive growth and more economic power to poor people,” he pointed out.
Modi said that the Centre had worked very hard to develop Kolkata but due to Trinamool’s “commission culture”, many important projects of Kolkata airport got stuck. “BJP will stop this and complete those projects,” he said, adding that the democratic system has been destroyed in Bengal during the Trinamool regime. but the BJP will strengthen this system.
“We will bring the change to re-establish public belief in government systems, in the police, and the administration…Kolkata also has a legacy of a rich past and also has future prospects. Then why can’t Kolkata be a city of future while preserving its culture?” he said.
Modi said that the Mamata-led Trinamool government had shattered the expectations of people in the state. “Bengal wants development, peace and prosperity. People want Bengal to reach the peak of development. They want ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). People have come here to bring real change in Bengal,” he said.
He urged the gathering to vote against bad governance and to free people from fear. “The people of Bengal had chosen you as ‘Didi’, then why did you remain the aunt of a nephew? The people of Bengal want an answer from you,” the PM said, referring to the Chief Minister.
He said there would be no appeasement politics in the state if the BJP comes to power. The party will not entertain illegal immigrants. Bollywood superstar and from Bengal Mithun Chakraborty on Sunday also joined the BJP’s mega show at Kolkata’s iconic Brigade Parade ground in the presence of Modi.
Other BJP functionaries like state unit president Dilip Ghosh, all-India general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, national vice-president Mukul Roy and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, along with many state BJP leaders, were present at the ground in Kolkata where Modi addressed the public meeting.
The 294-member West Bengal Assembly will go to the polls in eight phases between March 27 and April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 2.
