Underlining that ensuring a dignified life for the people in rural areas is the priority of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared his government’s firm commitment to building an empowered rural India, providing opportunities to villagers, reducing migration and ensuring ease of life for the people living in villages.

Therefore, he said, the government had implemented a program in each and every village to ensure basic amenities.

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Inaugurating the ”Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025” at the Bharat Mandapam here, Mr Modi highlighted that every house was provided with a toilet as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, crores of people in rural India were given pucca houses as part of the PM Awaas Yojana and lakhs of houses in villages were provided safe and clean drinking water through the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The PM remarked that those who were born and brought up in the villages know the potential of the villages. He added that the spirit of the village also resides in those who live in the villages.
He said that he was fortunate to have spent his childhood in a small town with a simple environment. He added that he spent time in the countryside later when he left the town.

“I have experienced the difficulties and am also aware of the possibilities in any village,” said the PM.

He said that since childhood he had observed that although the people of villages are hardworking, they miss out on the right opportunities due to lack of capital.

The PM noted that the farmers were faced with various challenges like natural calamities and lack of access to markets. He added that after having seen all these, he resolved in his mind to tackle the challenges faced by them.

He further added that the development works being undertaken today in the rural areas are inspired by the lessons and experiences from the villages.

“Today, Health facilities are being provided in more than 1.5 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to the people,” said the PM. He added that Telemedicine, assisted by digital technologies, has ensured the option of best doctors and hospitals for the villages.

The PM highlighted the importance of creating economic policies that take into account every section of the rural society so as to strengthen the rural economy. He said he was happy that over the past 10 years, the government has formulated special policies and made decisions for every section of the village.

He emphasised that the government’s intentions, policies, and decisions were infusing new energy into rural India and underscored the goal of providing maximum economic assistance to villagers within their villages, enabling them to engage in farming and create new employment and self-employment opportunities.

The PM highlighted the launch of campaigns like the Swamitva Yojana, through which villagers are receiving property papers. He remarked that over the past 10 years, several policies have been implemented to promote MSMEs. He highlighted the significant contribution of cooperatives in transforming the rural landscape.

He emphasised that apart from agriculture, various traditional arts and skills have been prevalent in Indian villages, such as blacksmithing, carpentry, and pottery. He remarked that these occupations have significantly contributed to the rural and local economy, but were previously neglected. “When intentions are noble, the results are satisfying”, the PM remarked.

He said these achievements could have been realised during previous governments’ tenures, but regretted that for decades after independence, lakhs of villages were deprived of basic necessities.