Jaipur, June 14 (IANS) Marking the completion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12 years in office, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has hailed the period as one dedicated to “service, good governance and public welfare”, saying the Prime Minister’s policies had transformed the lives of millions and strengthened India’s position globally.

Addressing a media interaction on Saturday in Jaipur, Chief Minister Sharma congratulated PM Modi on becoming the country’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister and described his tenure as a journey defined by trust, development and welfare.

The Chief Minister said that when PM Modi assumed charge in 2014, the country was grappling with challenges such as corruption, inflation, terrorism, Naxalism and policy paralysis.

“Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India overcame these challenges and set new benchmarks in governance, development and public welfare,” he added.

Highlighting the Centre’s welfare initiatives, CM Sharma said the Modi government placed the poor at the heart of governance and ensured that benefits reached even the last person standing in the social queue.

He added that crores of families received permanent houses, electricity connections, cooking gas, drinking water and sanitation facilities, while financial inclusion was expanded through Jan Dhan accounts.

According to the Chief Minister, more than 80 crore people benefited from free ration schemes and over 60 crore citizens received health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh under government health programmes.

He credited these interventions with helping more than 25 crore people rise out of poverty.

Chief Minister Sharma said Prime Minister Modi has consistently viewed India’s youth as its greatest strength.

Initiatives such as Skill India, Startup India, digital innovation, entrepreneurship and sports development have opened new opportunities for young Indians, he added.

He also highlighted what he called a new era of “women-led development”, citing schemes such as Ujjwala, PM Awas Yojana, Mudra Yojana and Lakhpati Didi.

These initiatives, CM Sharma said, enhanced women’s participation in economic and social development.

Calling farmers a key pillar of a Developed India, the Chief Minister added that the Centre had launched several measures covering the entire agricultural value chain, from quality seeds and irrigation to MSP hikes and the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

He said the Modi government had taken decisive steps on national security and sent a strong message against terrorism through actions such as surgical strikes, air strikes and Operation Sindoor.

He also cited major policy decisions, including the abrogation of Article 370, implementation of GST, One Rank One Pension (OROP) and the introduction of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as examples of bold governance.

According to CM Sharma, initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and Atmanirbhar Bharat have strengthened India’s manufacturing base and helped the country emerge as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.

The Chief Minister said Rajasthan has been a major beneficiary of central schemes over the past decade.

“More than 34 lakh houses have been constructed under PM Awas Yojana, over 63 lakh tap water connections have been provided, and nearly 89 lakh toilets have been built under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin),” CM Sharma added.

He also noted that 3.83 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in Rajasthan and that rural road connectivity has expanded significantly.

“Road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has increased from about 53,000 km before 2014 to more than 86,000 km today.”

State BJP President Madan Rathore, who was also present, said that Prime Minister Modi had enhanced India’s prestige on the global stage, while the Bhajan Lal Sharma government had provided a new direction to Rajasthan’s development trajectory.

–IANS

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