NEW DELHI: The NDA government presented a report card of its first 50 days in office on Monday, claiming to be “walking the talk” on its development push. Presenting the report card and achievements of the government, Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar asserted that “speed, skill and scale” have been the government’s mantra as it has kept its focus on boosting economy, doubling farmers’ income and giving further push to the existing plans and schemes for better connectivity and infrastructure development in the country.
The government has hit the ground running for the welfare of all sections of society, including farmers, traders, small businesses, unemployed youth and middle class, he claimed.
The Centre has been focusing to ensure empowerment for all and by 2022, the 75th year of Independence, the government will look to ensure that every rural family has an electricity and a cooking gas connection.
A report card of the policy decisions and vision of the government shows agriculture as a priority area. The government is encouraging Zero Budget Farming, going back to traditional methods of agriculture.
About 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) will be formed which will help bring farmers together and ensure that the pace of agricultural reforms reach them faster and more effectively, says the report. “These FPOs will help small and marginal farmers team up to get lower rates for inputs and sell produce at higher rates,” it adds.
With large parts of the country facing acute water shortage, the government plans to provide drinking water to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission. According to the Jal Shakti ministry, only 3.27 crore of the total 17.87 crore rural households are getting piped water currently.
The government intends to invest `100 lakh crore in the next five years for infrastructure and there is a plan to set up a committee to look into long-term funding. “Railway infrastructure needs an investment of `50 lakh crore by 2030 and public private partnership approach will be used to ensure faster development and delivery of passenger freight services,” says the report.
Centre’s infrastructure push
The government intends to invest D100 lakh crore in the next five years for infrastructure and there is a plan to set up a committee to look into long-term funding