Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said despite challenges like Corona, record jobs were created in the country in the past four years or so, and the RBI report on creation of eight crore jobs in the last three to four years has shut the voice of people spreading false narratives on job creation.

Speaking after launching development projects worth nearly Rs 30,000 crore in Mumbai, he said the people spreading false narratives on jobs are “enemies of investment, infrastructure development, and progress of the country, and their plans are to betray the youth and to oppose creation of jobs.”

These people are now exposed, he said and people have rejected their lies. The Prime Minister said when bridges, railway tracks, roads or coaches are built, people do get jobs. As the pace of infrastructure development projects gets pace, creation of jobs is getting faster, he said.

In the next some years, with fresh investment, these opportunities will multiply, Mr Modi said. He said the development model of the NDA is to give priority to the disadvantaged, the people who have been at the last place in society for decades.

The Prime Minister said, after taking over for its third term, his government took decisions on construction of pucca houses for the poor and farmer-friendly issues. So far, four crore pucca houses have been built in the country and in the next few years, three crore more poor families will get pucca houses.

Lakhs of these houses will be built in Maharashtra for the poor and Dalits, he said. “We are trying to meet the housing needs of the poor and middle classes in urban areas also,” he said.

He said Rehri-footpath vendors will also get justice through Swanidhi yojana. So far, 90 lakh loans have been sanctioned for them, including 13 lakh loans in Maharashtra, with 1.50 lakh people getting the loans in Mumbai. A study has shown the Swanidhi has increased income of the beneficiaries by Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 every year. These are repaying their loans on time also, he said.

The Prime Minister said he was happy to launch the Rs 30,000 crore projects as these will improve connectivity around Mumbai by rail and road schemes.

The projects include a scheme to improve skill development of State youth. Two to three weeks back, the Centre had approved the Vadhavan port project worth Rs 76,000 crore and it is expected to create more than 10 lakh jobs.

In the past one month, Mumbai has been witnessing investors from all over the world and the country. The investors have welcomed the third term of his government in a big way. People know only NDA government can ensure stability and permanency.

“After taking oath for the third time, I had said the NDA government will work at triple the speed, and we can see it happening today,” he said.

Maharashtra has glorious past, energetic present, has a dream for prosperity in future and will play a major role in making of Viksit Bharat (developed India). The State has power of industry, power of agriculture, power of finance sector; this power has made Mumbai the financial hub of the country, he said.

“My target is to make Mumbai a big financial powerhouse of the world, my target is to make Mumbai fintech capital of the world,” he said. The Prime Minister said he wanted the State to be Number One in tourism. The State offers Chhatrapati Shivaji’s big forts, travel on the Sahyadri mountains, conference and medical tourism for tourists. Today’s programme is dedicated to these goals only, he said.

Mr Modi said 21st century aspirations of the country are quite high, nearly 25 years of the century are over; people want fast development, want to make India a developed nation in the next quarter century, and in this Mumbai will play a big role. “The quality of life improves in the State Capital is our goal, and therefore connectivity is being improved for Mumbai,” he said.

The coastal road and the Atal Setu are ready, when Atal Setu was being constructed, there were attempts to delay it through wrong information, he said, but one can see how it is benefiting today. As many as 20,000 vehicles are using it daily and there is saving of fuel worth Rs 20-Rs 25 lakh. Going to Panvel takes 45 minutes lesser.