Select citizens, middlemen availed of benefits of govt schemes in past: PM Modi

Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said benefits of government schemes were availed of by few aware citizens and middlemen in the past but now the government delivers such benefits at the doors of the eligible people.

In his virtual address at the function to distribute PMJAY-MA (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana–Ma Amrutam) Yojana cards in Gandhinagar, the prime minister also underlined the need to fight malnutrition.

He said it is important to fight malnutrition ”as when the child is healthy the country will be healthy”. “Under previous governments, they used to meet in a big convention centre to announce a scheme, light a lamp, and leaders used to give good lectures and that’s all. After that only a few aware citizens and middlemen used to get the benefits of such schemes. The benefits hardly used to reach the needy people,” Modi said. The prime minister said his government has changed this practice. ”Now, the government goes to every house, identifies beneficiaries, and gives benefits of the scheme to the eligible people,” he said.