Vajpayee's vision being carried forward by Prime Minister Modi: Defence minister

Lucknow:Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday, December 25, said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s good governance and foresight gave India a new direction in the field of roads, telecom and rural development.

Elaborating on the definition of good governance, Singh said that it is one where every person’s needs are fulfilled, he feels safe and has the opportunity to express his views.

“This was Atal ji’s vision, which is being carried forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today,” Singh said addressing the birth centenary celebrations of Vajpayee with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here.

The leaders paid floral tributes to the statue of the former prime minister in Lok Bhavan. Vajpayee’s birth anniversary is observed as ‘Good Governance’ Day.

“Atalji’s good governance took the country to new heights. During his government, the growth rate reached 8.4 per cent, which was a historic achievement in independent India,” Singh said and added that his governance was praised all over the world.

Singh recalled Vajpayee’s flagship schemes that brought a paradigm shift in the country.

“Campaigns like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Antyodaya Yojana changed the lives of India’s villages and poor. Atal Ji not only connected cities with roads but also connected villages with paved and better roads.

“By bringing a revolution in the telecom sector, he fulfilled the dream of making mobile available to every hand,” he said.

Singh said that the Modi government has taken India to the 50th position in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ by eliminating more than 1,500 unnecessary laws.

Soon India will be among the top 20 countries, he said.

Highlighting the success of the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) scheme, Singh said that now the poor get their rightful money directly in their accounts.

“Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had said that out of 100 paise sent, only 14 paise reaches the beneficiaries. But the Modi government has ended this corruption,” he said.

“No allegation of corruption was made against Atal ji and the Modi government. This is good governance,” he said.

Singh also praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the issue of law and order and the implementation of welfare schemes.

He said UP ranks first in the country in providing houses to the poor. More than four crore poor people have got concrete houses, out of which 70 per cent are registered in the name of women.

“Law and order has improved in the state, four crore people have been pulled out of poverty and, under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the poor are getting free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh,” he said.