Gandhinagar, June 28: Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Sunday that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has significantly transformed the lives of 700 million poor people over the past 12 years. He emphasized that the country has launched the most extensive poverty alleviation campaign by providing essential services such as housing, electricity, sanitation, drinking water, cooking gas, food security, and healthcare.
While inaugurating the PM Family Care Tracker (PM-FCT) pilot project and Health Passport, Shah remarked that since 2014, the primary goal of the government has been to improve the living standards of the poor.
“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, comprehensive efforts have been made to enhance the living standards of 700 million poor people in the country,” he stated.
Reflecting on his visits to eastern Uttar Pradesh before 2014, Shah recalled witnessing extreme poverty firsthand. He noted, “It is not that Gujarat did not have poverty, but when I visited the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh, I realized what real poverty looked like. People lacked homes. Without homes, there was no electricity. Countless houses did not have toilets. Even where there were huts, there was no access to water inside.”
He described how women spent hours cooking on traditional stoves, and many families found it difficult to access better healthcare services.
“Mothers cooked on smoky stoves for their entire lives. Families worked day and night to arrange for the next meal. Their economic situation was such that when illness struck, the only option left was to pray to God for healing,” he added.
Shah pointed out that the central government has addressed these challenges through various welfare schemes.
“In just 12 years, we have provided 700 million poor people with permanent homes, electricity, tap water, toilets, gas cylinders, five kilograms of food grains per person, and free medical treatment up to five lakh rupees,” he said.
He mentioned that three million homes have already been completed, with another one million under construction.
The Home Minister noted that many beneficiaries have shared with him that for the first time in five generations, their families are living in homes equipped with gas, toilets, drinking water, food grains, and electricity.
“Many people have told me that for the first time in five generations, their family has a home with all basic amenities. In 12 years, the dreams of their five generations have been fulfilled,” he remarked.
Shah concluded by stating that the PM Family Care Tracker is a crucial tool for the next phase of welfare schemes. It will monitor the timely provision of healthcare, nutrition, and education for children from poor families through an integrated system.
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