Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Monday said that a new chapter of growth and fast-paced development has been written in nine years of BJP rule at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The country is touching new heights under the leadership of Modi and is on track to become the world's third-largest economy, the union minister for Jal Shakti said interacting with reporters here.
"In the last nine years, the nation has moved from the politics of dynasty, corruption, and appeasement to one of development, growth, unity, and nationalism... The journey of the Modi government has strengthened democracy in the real sense by empowering the poor and marginalised sections of society.
"The Centre took revolutionary steps for the poor and the marginalised in the nine years under Modi Ji.
He said that under the BJP government, around four crore pucca houses were constructed for the poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, besides more than 11.72 crore toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The Centre provided food grains for free to over 80 crore people under National Food Security Act during the pandemic.
"The national COVID-19 vaccination drive was the world's largest vaccination drive - unprecedented in both scale and reach. This could not have been possible without the planning and administrative vision of the Central government under the leadership of Modi Ji. In the past it took decades for vaccines that had been developed globally to be introduced in India,” Shekhawat said.
Besides, the Centre provided 9.6 crore cooking gas connections under the Ujjwala Yojna and covered 50 crore beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Scheme.
By 2024 safe and adequate drinking water will be provided to all households in rural India through individual household tap connections, he added.