NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his government is working to make cooperatives a strong part of rural life, asserting that they are being scaled up massively in sectors like agriculture and fisheries after making a mark in fields such as dairy and sugar production.
In an interaction with beneficiaries of the ongoing 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra', he said the change in the lives of crores of beneficiaries of his government's welfare schemes in the last 10 years has been a story of courage, satisfaction, and dreams.
Modi said it has been a great source of satisfaction for him to see the self-confidence of people when he interacts with them.
During the yatra, he said one crore people have been given 'Ayushman' card, a health insurance scheme run by the government for the poor. 1.25 crore people have undergone health check-ups while more than 70 lakh inspected for tuberculosis.
Taking a swipe at previous dispensations, he said if the situation during their tenure had prevailed now, then prospective beneficiaries of these schemes would have lost their hopes in doing rounds of government offices.
There is no nepotism and bribery now to get these benefits, he said, adding "Modi is like family to you.
You don't need any connection.
"In the 10 years of his government, 10 crore women have joined self-help groups across the country and have been given Rs 7.5 lakh crore through banks, he said, adding that it is his dream to make 2 crore women 'lakhpati'.
The prime minister said his government is working to build lakhs of storage facilities to help farmers.