Key Points

After coming to power in 2014, the Modi government kept ‘Garib Kalyan’ as its central focus and rolled out a series of trailblazing initiatives like Direct Benefit Transfer, Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana and more, bringing unprecedented change in the lives of the poor.

PM Modi also took to X on Thursday, saying, “Over the past decade, the NDA Government has taken pathbreaking steps to uplift several people from the clutches of poverty, focusing on empowerment, infrastructure and inclusion.”

Below is an account of the schemes and how they changed the lives of the poor forever:

100 per cent Open Defecation Free (ODF) status

The country achieved a major milestone by completing the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. Over 4,576 cities have achieved ODF status, ensuring that human dignity and hygiene no longer remain a privilege but have become a right of every citizen.

100 per cent sanitation coverage in rural India

In rural India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan has achieved 100 per cent sanitation coverage, with nearly 12 crore toilets built. Solid and liquid waste management now covers over five lakh villages, showing the cleanliness index reaching the grassroots.

Housewives turned house owners

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, more than four crore houses have been built, and the high point of this is that 73 per cent of them are owned or co-owned by women. Today, millions of women are not just housewives but also homeowners.

PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana

The Modi government’s free solar power scheme is empowering lakhs of homes, with people subscribing to PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in overwhelming numbers. As per official estimates, more than 10 lakh homes are now receiving up to 300 units of free electricity per month.

DBT marked a new high in governance

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) marked a new high in governance as it brought an end to years of misgovernance and corruption, showcasing India’s new model of growth. Middlemen were removed and leakages plugged.

Today, more than 1,200 schemes are using DBT, providing direct benefits to over Rs 44 lakh crore population and saving government expenses to the tune of Rs 3.48 lakh crore.

Ayushman Bharat making India secure

Ayushman Bharat, touted as the world’s largest health insurance scheme, has recorded more than 9.3 crore free treatments so far. Under the scheme, every family gets Rs 5 lakh annually for medical treatment, while all senior citizens above 70 have now been covered under the scheme. This again shows that ‘healthcare for all’ has become a necessity rather than a luxury, unlike earlier times, when the poor couldn’t afford it.

LED bulbs under Ujala Yojana

Ujala Yojana is brightening crores of houses with power-saving LED bulbs, marking a major shift towards green energy and enabling households to save money.

As per official records, more than 36 crore LED bulbs have been distributed under UJALA so far, and families are saving up to Rs 19,153 crore each year. Emissions are reported to have gone down by 3.87 crore tonnes of COâ‚‚ per year.

Tap water not a privilege

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, drinking water has reached the doorsteps of millions of people. Earlier, people had to walk miles to fulfil their basic needs, but today, they have access to tap water.

Ujjwala Yojana - 10 crore LPG connections given

More than 10 crore LPG connections have been provided under the PM Ujjwala Yojana, under which subsidised cylinders are provided. This has ensured clean cooking fuel for crores of women in the kitchens, particularly in rural India.

Jan Dhan Yojana brought people into mainstream

Under the Jan Dhan Yojana, more than 55.44 crore accounts have been opened so far. This is the world’s biggest financial inclusion programme, with even the global economists getting amazed over its achievements. Out of these accounts, 55.7 per cent of these accounts are owned by women.

Village electrification under Deen Dayal Gram Jyoti Yojana

More than 19,000 remote villages have been electrified under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana. The government has already stated that the mission of 100 per cent village electrification was completed.

Also, PM Modi summed up these achievements aptly in a post on X as he wrote, “Over the past decade, the NDA Government has taken pathbreaking steps to uplift several people from the clutches of poverty, focussing on empowerment, infrastructure and inclusion. All our key schemes have transformed the lives of the poor. Initiatives like PM Awas Yojana, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana and Ayushman Bharat have enhanced access to housing, clean cooking fuel, banking and healthcare. The push for DBT, digital inclusion and rural infrastructure has ensured transparency and faster delivery of benefits till the last mile.”

“It is due to this that over 25 crore people have defeated poverty,” he added.

- IANS