'Citizens has resolved to free country from REVDI culture': PM Narendra Modi at PMAY-G event

PM Narendra Modi participated in the 'Griha Pravesh' of more than 4.5 lakh beneficiaries of PMAY-G and said that the tax-payers would be delighted to see their money being spent on the poor

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: In a reference to freebie politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, October 22, 2022, said that a large section of the population has "resolved to free the country from revdi culture". The Prime Minister`s remarks came while participating in the `Griha Pravesh` of more than 4.5 lakh beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) in Madhya Pradesh via video conference. PM Modi highlighted the government`s investment of the tax-payers money into the welfare schemes such as the PMAY-G scheme and said that the tax-payers would be delighted to see their money being spent on the poor.

"When I am giving 4 lakh houses, every tax-payer would think that some poor person from Madhya Pradesh is also celebrating Diwali besides me because of the new house. But when the same tax-payer sees that free revdis (freebies) are being distributed with the money collected from him, he becomes disappointed. A lot of taxpayers are writing letters to me today. I am glad that a big section of the country has resolved to free the country from revdi culture," PM Modi said.

He has highlighted the revdi culture numerous times in the past stating that it is "very dangerous" for the development of the country. The Prime Minister further stressed that the new houses that were allotted to the beneficiaries will not let the poverty increase and also remove the little poverty left.

"The house that you have got is not only a place to live, eat and sleep, but it is a fort that won`t let poverty penetrate and will also remove remaining poverty," he said. Underlining the difference between the previous governments and the present administration, the Prime Minister said that earlier the poor were made to visit the offices repeatedly, but now the government is reaching out to the poor.

"There is a difference between the earlier and present governments. The previous governments used to pester people. The poor were made to visit the offices repeatedly. Our government is reaching out to the poor. The government is carrying out a campaign so that the poor are benefited from every scheme. Today we are talking about saturation," PM Modi said.

He said that the slogan to eradicate poverty remained only the political promises, while the Centre is providing basic facilities to every citizen of the country. "Why are we in such a hurry? There is a lesson in the past. The basic facilities (gas cylinder, health facilities, toilet, internet connectivity etc) were kept in abeyance in the past decades. A large chunk of the population struggled for these basic facilities. Promises to eradicate poverty were only political promises. We decided to connect every citizen of the country with the basic facilities to overcome poverty. Today, the poor, after getting the facilities, are making efforts to reduce their poverty," PM Modi said.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, about 38 lakh houses have been sanctioned so far in Madhya Pradesh and construction of about 29 lakh houses has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 35,000 crore.