New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lucknow on Tuesday and digitally handed over keys of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) houses to 75,000 beneficiaries in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. PM Modi also virtually interacted with the beneficiaries of the scheme and discussed other government schemes which they could avail to lead a better life
PM Modi also assured them of every support from the central government to uplift their business and for the education of children.
These are the key highlights of PM Modi's speech in Lucknow
- Sharing the fact that over 80 per cent of the houses being given under PM Awas Yojana in the country are owned by women or they are joint owners, PM Modi said that he is elated the centre has been able to empower women. PM Modi said that it is an immense pleasure to know that women are taking charge of their lives and contributing to their and the country's development.
- PM Modi said that in the coming 3 days, experts from all over the country are going to gather and brainstorm on the new nature of the cities of India. The expo organized in Lucknow clearly displays the achievements of 75 years and the new resolutions of the country in this Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
- PM Modi said that Lucknow gave a visionary leader former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and in his memory a Chair is being established in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University.
- PM further informed that after 2014, the NDA government has given permission to build over 1.13 crore houses under PM Awas Yojana, in the city. Of these, over 50 lakh houses have been built & given to the poor so far.
- Modi also said that under PM Awas Yojana, Central government has transferred nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in the accounts of the poor.
- Highlighting the importance of the scheme PM Modi revealed that those who lived in slums and did not have a pucca roof have received huge benefits. PM Modi said, " 3 crore families, who were living in slum areas and didn't have pucca houses, got an opportunity to become 'lakhpati' with a single scheme. It is a big thing.... these people are 'lakhpati' now."
- PM Modi further said that the government has made a very serious effort to overcome the problems and challenges faced by the urban middle class and Real Estate Regulatory Authority i.e. RERA Act has been a huge step. PM said that this law has helped in getting the entire housing sector out of mistrust and fraud.
- PM Modi also lauded the government's initiative of using LED lights as street lights. He said, " Urban bodies are also saving about Rs 1 thousand crore every year by installing LED street lights. Now, this amount is being used for other development works. LED has also greatly reduced the electricity bill of the people living in the city."
- Emphasizing on technology, PM Modi said that technology has brought a big change in the urban sector in India in the last 6-7 years. Technology is the basis of the Integrated Command and Control Centers that are running in more than 70 cities of the country today.
- PM also discussed the government's efforts on developing more metro tracks in the country and said India's Metro service is expanding rapidly to major cities across the country. In 2014, the metro used to run on less than 250 km route but today it is running in about 750 km. PM said that work is going on on more than one thousand kilometers of metro tracks in the country today.