New Delhi: Noting that drone technology had helped in ensuring last-mile delivery, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he used drones for surprise inspections of government projects as well. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Bharat Drone Mahotsav in Delhi, India's biggest drone festival, PM Modi said drone technology was becoming the basis of a big revolution.
"It is essential to constantly monitor the quality of government projects. Today, if I want to know the status of any government project, it is no longer necessary for me to inform (officials) in advance that I have to go there for an inspection. Then, everything will be in place. I conduct surprise inspections of development work across the country with the help of drones. This way, officials don't even get to know that I have taken stock of the project," PM Modi said at the event.
PM Modi further said that he organises a Pragati meeting with government officials every month and reviews development works in various parts of the country with the help of drones.
"I also request them to give me a live demonstration of the project sites where drones are being used. That makes it easier for me to make decisions," the prime minister said.
"When development work began in Kedarnath, it was not possible for me to go there every time and monitor the progress. But I could take stock of the pace of the work with the help of drones. That is how I regularly kept a track of the work," PM Modi further said.
READ | Drone Technology Will Take Agriculture To New Level: PM Modi At Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022
PM Modi also took an indirect jibe at the previous Congress government, saying there was an environment of "indifference" towards the use of technology in governance before 2014 due to which the poor and the middle class suffered the most.
"During the earlier governments, technology was considered a part of the problem and efforts were made to label it 'anti-poor'. Due to this, there was an environment of indifference towards the use of technology in governance before 2014. The poor, the deprived, the middle class suffered the most," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)