PM Modi launches ‘Rurban Mission’, says his government is for poor, dalits

“Aaatma hogi gaon ki, aur suvidha hogi shahar ki….There was no planning earlier on how to deal with increased migration to cities. Jhuggi-jhopdis kept increasing without any thought on how they will live, how the city will grow,” Modi said.

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“(But) can we leave them to their fate? No. This will help alleviate that problem. Now doctors, teaches, engineers will want to go to a village once it is developed under the ‘Rurban’ scheme, and this will not only develop that village, but others in that area as well. This government is for the poor, Dalits, tribals, oppressed and deprived sections of the society. It is for the person standing in the last row.”

He added that under the ‘Rurban Mission’ 300 rural centres, catering to at least four adjoining villages each, will be developed as urban clusters with modern facilities. The cluster will witness development in different sectors, including economic standards, electricity, health and education facilities and employment opportunities, he said.

Modi also took a swipe at previous governments and said that their programmes were largely unveiled in Delhi with “300-400 people” in Vigyan Bhavan. “This is a small place in a part of India, far from Delhi. But there is a big crowd, and we have brought the government out of Delhi and closer to the people. This has given a new direction to development,” said PM Modi.

At the function, Modi declared two blocks of Chhattisgarh as “open defecation-free”, and lauded an elderly woman, 104-year-old Kunwar Bai, for selling her goats to build a toilet. “I tell the media, it is fine if you don’t show my speeches but you should tell the nation about people like Ma Kunwar Bai,” said Modi.

Earlier, the PM visited Naya Raipur, the upcoming capital of Chhattisgarh.