CHENNAI: Hardeep Singh Puri, union minister of housing and urban affairs, petroleum and natural gas, outlined the Modi government’s ambitious vision for a developed India by 2047 during a panel discussion at the 13th ThinkEdu Conclave. The session - The Promise of Gyan: Viksit Bharat - was chaired by author and analyst Shankkar Aiyar.
“When you construct toilets, providing over 11 crore in total, it enhances the dignity of the girl child. Similarly, with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, we offer affordable homes to economically weaker sections, and notably, the property title is held in the name of the woman of the household. This marks a fundamental difference,” he said while elaborating on the Modi government’s plans.
Discussing the SVANidhi scheme for street vendors, he highlighted its success, with 43% of beneficiaries being women, including those from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
Responding to questions on poverty alleviation alongside economic growth, Puri affirmed the government’s commitment to education, emphasising India’s transition towards a knowledge-based society. He defended social welfare measures, stating that providing dry ration for 80 crore for three meals a day doesn’t undermine poverty alleviation efforts.