Patna: Launching three major social schemes, Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan said on Saturday the Narendra Modi government is working with the motto of "power to the poor".
The late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had won polls on the slogan of "Garibi Hatao" and bank nationalisation, but poverty remained in the country even after 70 years of Independence, Paswan said in his speech.
Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sincerely working with the motto of "power to the poor", he said while launching the three schemes.
The three schemes -- Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Atal Pension Yojana -- were launched across the country today.
Keeping in mind Bihar Assembly elections later this year, the BJP-led central government fielded several union ministers in different parts of Bihar for launch of the schemes.
While Paswan launched them in Patna, Ravishankar Prasad did so in Muzaffarpur, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir in Darbhanga, Thavar Chand Gehlot in Sasaram, Ramkripal Yadav in Purnea, Giriraj Singh in Gaya and Nihal Chand in Bhagalpur.
"Why is that today a shoemaker walks barefoot, son of grower of food sleeps without food and those who manufacture clothes are bare bodied?" asked Paswan.
"There have been a large number of schemes for the poor but there was no honest intent to eradicate poverty," he said in an apparent dig at Congress which ruled the country for the majority period of time after Independence.
"Being born in a poor family, Prime Minister Modi has suffered pangs of poverty and that is why he has sincere concerns for the welfare of poor," Paswan said.
He referred to "Jan Dhan Yojna" and the three new schemes to drive home his point.
Other central ministers also hailed the three schemes, saying they would help the poor come out of the stranglehold of money lenders.
