NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has sought a list of all flagship programmes launched by the ruling BJP government in the last four years, along with performance reviews, which can be used by PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech.
“The Finance Ministry has been asked to submit a list of all flagship programmes, including comments on how they are progressing. The entire list has to be backed by numbers and data. The programmes that are doing well and have received good responses may be used in the Independence Day speech of the PM,” a senior official in the ministry told TNIE.
A separate list has been demanded over benefits extended to SC, ST, OBC categories and women. The list would also include schemes launched for north-eastern states.
The official further said that the report needs to be formatted with bullet points, big numbers and infographics that can be easily shared on social media, and has to be submitted before August 12.
“While successful implementation of GST, Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and MSP hike will be part of the list, it has conveniently dropped some big ticket programmes like Namami Gange and Smart Cities Mission, owing to several negative reports and controversies surrounding these schemes,” the official said, adding that the list will be finally reviewed by a trusted aide of the Prime Minister.
The Independence Day speech holds significance, as it is expected to set the tone of BJP’s election campaign and can enhance its electoral prospects in 2019.
The government may also use the occasion to announce a package under its social security scheme. While there are already recommendations for extending social benefits to unorganised sector, a major package of the whole grant will be dedicated to people affected by terrorism and Naxal-hit areas.