Congress 'forfeited the right to criticise' in the court of the people: Sonowal
Shillong, June 10 (UNI) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal has strongly countered the Congress party's criticism of the Modi government's performance over the past 11 years, asserting that the grand old party has 'forfeited the right to criticise' in the court of the people.
Emphasising the transformative progress made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Sonowal said the Congress, which neglected the aspirations of the people for more than six decades, now stands exposed before a new India that rewards performance and punishes apathy.
'Congress has lost all moral rights. They had destroyed the prospect of Northeast when they misgoverned the country for more than six decades. The dark days of Congress governments were filled with violence, insurgency, terrorism that dragged our beautiful region in to a vortex of deprivation, devastation, discord and division. Peace was a distant dream,' the Union Minister said.
He added : 'This was reversed only with the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took decisive steps to transform the region, respect the aspirations of the people, find solutions, usher a new era of peace and brotherhood, and ultimately, transform it as the Growth Engine of new India.'
Highlighting the major achievements of the Narendra Modi-led government over 11 years, Sonowal explained how it delivered unprecedented welfare benefits to every section of the society — uplifting the poor 'Garib Kalyan', empowering the women 'Nari Shakti', transforming agriculture 'Krishak Kalyan' and empowering the youth through skill based training and employment opportunities though innovative policy action via Start Up India or Digital India campaigns. Sonowal also underlined how more than 2.19 lakh farmers benefitted from the Mission Organic Value Chain Development, 434 Farmer Producer Organisations formed, covering 1.73 lakh hectares.
Sonowal said the government is working towards building Viksit Bharat during this Amrit Kala by focussing on 'Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan' (Service, Good Governance and Welfare of the Poor).
Over 81 crore people now, he said are receiving free rations under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, more than 15 crore rural households have access to tap water under 'Har Ghar Jal', and Rs. 3.7 lakh crore has been disbursed to farmers through PM-KISAN
Sonowal said women's empowerment has seen historic strides—from 33 per cent reservation in legislatures under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to direct benefit transfers for more than 3.9 crore pregnant women, and the historic admission of women into the National Defence Academy,'
Stating that the Modi government has brought the Northeast into the mainstream of India's development journey with unprecedented investment and focused attention, the Union Minister said, 'The Northeast has emerged transformative with 'Insurgency has declined by 64 per cent since 2014, AFSPA has been withdrawn from 75 per cent of the region,'
The government has approved over 3,600 projects worth Rs. 44,859 crore, built 10 greenfield airports, and expanded connectivity and organic farming through focused missions.
'Under Modi's leadership, the Northeast is being repositioned not as a peripheral zone, but as India's vital Gateway to the East, with peace, progress, and prosperity at its core', Sonowal further said.
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