'Modi's guarantee' works for the poor: PM at Odisha rally

The guarantee of development is not a hollow poll promise but an assurance that will be fulfilled, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday at a public meeting in Odisha - his first ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.

- Debabrata Mohanty

"Modi's guarantee means guarantee pura hone ki guarantee (the fulfilment of a promise). Modi's guarantee works for those who do not have anything. Two days ago, the interim budget was presented and it aims to empower the poor, women, youth and others. This budget guarantees everybody's development," he said.

Speaking at the "Modi Guarantee Samavesh (conclave)" in Sambalpur town in western Odisha, the PM said his vision was to ensure that no one across the country lives in temporary shelters, as he talked about the development work undertaken by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government.

"Over four crore poor families have been provided their own pucca houses in the country, of which around 25 lakh beneficiaries are in Odisha. The Centre is working for the beneficiaries who have been left out. The Centre has announced to construct two crore more houses in the budget," he said.

The BJP government is working to make lives of the people easier and increase the income of every individual, he said. "In the last 10 years, electricity has been provided to the areas which were still in the dark.

Electricity has also reached 2.5 million families in Odisha. The BJP also brought LED revolution and now the party's efforts are on to ensure that the electricity bill of poor becomes zero.

Hence, rooftop solar power scheme has been announced for 10 million families," Modi said.

The BJP is providing free ration and 35 million people in Odisha do not have to think about food for the next five years, he added. The Prime Minister also talked about the policies his government has introduced for the benefit of migrant workers and farmers.