While every government spoke about providing ”roti, kapda aur makan” to the poor, it is the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led dispensation which is fulfilling the promise, the BJP said on Friday. Addressing a press conference, Union minister Giriraj Singh drew a comparison with earlier governments, saying over 3.26 crore houses were built for the rural poor in 60 years while over 2.5 crore houses have been constructed in only eight years of the Modi government. Joined by BJP spokesperson K K Sharma, the Rural Development Minister said only 11 lakh houses were built annually during the Congress government while the average zoomed to 35 lakh in the current government. The BJP-led government has built over 58 lakh houses for the urban poor as well, he said. He noted that the central government had set a target of building 4.03 crore houses for the poor but it was revised to 2.95 crore following feedback from states. Singh also took a swipe at the West Bengal government, saying it seems to want to work outside the federal system and accused it of renaming central government schemes. He also suggested that the state’s TMC government has not supplied the Centre with information about the number of houses built for the poor under the Union government’s scheme. He was speaking to the media on the second day of ”samajik nyay pakhwada” (fortnight dedicated to social justice) started by the party to mark its 42nd foundation day observed on Wednesday.
The party has made elaborate plans to highlight one welfare scheme on each day of the fortnight, with its members, including Union ministers, reaching out to people on its various aspects and publicise details. Noting that the houses are in the ownership of women only or include them, Singh said this has empowered them. Earlier, Modi had tweeted that the construction of over three crore houses for the poor marks a significant milestone in the resolve to provide ‘pucca’ homes to every poor. These houses with all basic facilities have become a symbol of women empowerment, he added.
