CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News /Agencies/ Bhopal: Pune. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing a recent World Bank report, claimed that nearly 50 crore people in India have come out of extreme poverty in the past 10 to 12 years. He said the fight to remove poverty was earlier limited to slogans, but the country is now moving towards defeating poverty at the grassroots level. The Prime Minister made the remarks on Tuesday after virtually inaugurating Pune Metro’s 23-kilometre Pink Line.
Link between economic growth and poverty reduction
PM Modi said India is among the fast-growing economies despite difficult global conditions. The country’s economic growth and reduction in poverty are linked to each other. He said increased government investment in infrastructure and welfare schemes is improving people’s lives and creating new employment opportunities.
He said that earlier, money from government schemes could not fully reach those in need because of corruption and middlemen. Now, through direct benefit transfer, assistance is being sent directly to beneficiaries’ accounts. Facilities such as houses, toilets, tap water and LPG connections for the poor have brought changes to their lives.
World Bank figures cited
The Prime Minister referred to the World Bank report and said there has been a significant decline in extreme poverty in India. According to the report, the extreme poverty rate was 27.1 percent in 2011, which fell to 2.6 percent in 2023. The assessment was based on people spending less than $3 a day.
Focus on metro network and urban development
Modi said the country’s operational metro network was 248 kilometres in 2014 and has now increased to nearly 1,200 kilometres. Earlier, metro services were available in only five cities, while metros are now running in 26 cities. He said expansion of modern transport and infrastructure will play an important role in achieving the goal of a developed India.
The Prime Minister also mentioned farmers affected by drought in Maharashtra. He assured farmers of all possible support from the central government and appealed to citizens to remember the difficulties of drought-hit families during the festivals.
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