Satya Column:Modi’s forte: Good governance in letter and spirit

Good governance holds the key to a nation’s development. Apart from ensuring people’s welfare and working to augment their lives, accountability and transparency are part of good governance.

Ifgovernance is good, citizens get priority. It implies government policies are good, people are accessing government services without hiccups, government is responding to their problemsin a rational way, people are getting their work done in government offices without room for corruption and harassment, and technology is used to the hilt to accomplish the foregoing objectives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had designated December 25 –the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee — as ‘Good Governance Day’ soon after assuming office in 2014. There are many reasons for this. They include Vajpayee’s refusal to accept defeat and his commitment to launch struggles. He provided his administrative capability to the nation for the third time, though rivals had pulled the rug under his feet twice.

Vajpayee contributed to the development of the country with his programmes like Sarvasiksha Abhiyan, Golden Quadrangle and PM Grameen SadakYojna. He worked to link highways, railways, air and sea services and linked IT with telecom services using modern technology. He proved his uncompromising stand on the country’s defense by teaching a bitter lesson to infiltrators from across the border through ‘Operation Vijay’. He conducted nuclear tests in Pokhran to prove to the world India’s nuclear capability.

Chaiwala-turned-PM Narendra Modi set the target to achieve good governance, as envisaged by Vajpayee. Modi built on the schemes implemented by Vajpayee, while giving the slogan ‘Sabh ka saath – Sab ka vikaas’. The Centre earmarked 41 per cent of the central funds to states to strengthen the spirit of federalism.

After Modi became the Prime Minister, Rs 1.25 lakh crore black money has been confiscated and Rs 4,300 crore worth benami properties have been attached. Digital technology has been introduced to check corruption and eliminate middlemen. Over 1,500 obsolete laws have been repealed.

The surgical strikes that India carried out on Balakot in Pakistan prevented Pakistan from undertaking any misadventure. He made Kashmir an integral part of India by scrapping the Article 370. Every time China escalates tensions on the border, Indian forces repulse those attacks, while serving a strong warning to China.

India has achieved wide recognition in the comity of nations under the Modi regime. Modi has declared the next 25 years as ‘Amritkaal’, with India already becoming the fifth largest power in world.

The country has become self-reliant as a financial power. In 2022, exports from the country crossed 422 billion US dollars. India produced domestically its aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. India has achieved self-sufficiency in space technology, drone technology and the defense sector. The Gross Domestic Product of the nation has crossed Rs one lakh crore.

The contribution of the farm sector to the GDP was only 15 per cent. Other sectors contributed 85 per cent to the GDP, which symbolises the progress achieved by the nation. India has auctioned coal blocks, spectrum network, mineral wealth, and natural gas in a transparent way to earn lakhs of crores of rupees as revenue.

These funds are being allocated for the welfare and development of the nation. Spectrum network auction earned the country Rs 4.64 lakh crore.The coal production in the country has touched a record level of 778 million metric tons. None would be able to deny that highways, railway lines, industrial corridors, expressways, airports, bridgesand ports are being developed in an unprecedented way under the Modi regime.

When Covid-19 shook the globe, India supplied vaccine to 96 countries and international agencies over 20 crore vaccine doses. Some of the examples of good governance under the Modi regime are Swacch Bharat, PM AwaasYojna, Ujjwal, crop insurance, issue of soil testing cards to farmers, Jan-Dhan Yojna, establishment of Mudra Bank, Ayushman Bharat and electrification of lakhs of villages. Under Swacch Abhiyan, 11 crore toilets were built in the country. In all, 1,34,496 villages were declared as open defecation-free villages.

Under PM AwaasYojna, over 2.5 crore houses were built in villages and 1.2 crore in urban areas.Under Ujjwal scheme, LPG domestic connections were issued among 9.5 crore beneficiaries. Under the crop insurance scheme, during the past six years payouts totaling Rs 1,25,662 crore were paid to farmers. 

Soil testing cards were given to over 29 crore farmers. Under Jan-Dhan Yojna, 47.51-crore bank accounts were opened and Rs 26 lakh crore transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries under various schemes. Under the PM Mudra Yojna, Rs 37.76 lakh crore has been disbursed as loans among small traders.Under Ayushman Bharat scheme, health cards have been issued to 18 crore people.  

Under the direct benefits transfer scheme, Rs 26 lakh crore has been transferred to the accounts of beneficiaries. Since 2014, Rs 9 lakh crore worth subsidy on urea has been extended to farmers. Under SowbhagyaYojna, 2.82 crore houses have been energized.  Under the regime of Modi, differences between villages and towns have erased.

In all, 722,773 km-long roads have been developed under PM Grameen SadakYojna.
Even in a remote hamlet there is none who is not familiar with Modi. Modi has won the appreciation of people by extending good governance in letter and spirit.