Gandhinagar, Jan 6 (IANS) The Gujarat unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Tuesday, held a press conference in Gandhinagar under the 'Mission Gramin' initiative, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also present during the event.
The briefing was led by Gujarat BJP President Jagdish Vishwakarma and focused on the state government's rural development agenda aligned with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat'.
Addressing the media, Vishwakarma said the Gujarat government is actively working to translate the Prime Minister's development blueprint into tangible outcomes at the grassroots level.
He highlighted the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, under which thousands of families have received permanent housing, providing dignity and security to economically weaker sections of society.
A key focus of the press conference was the Viksit Bharat–Gramin Rozgar Abhiyan (VB-G RAM G), which, according to State BJP President Vishwakarma, aims to significantly expand rural employment opportunities.
He said that while earlier schemes such as MGNREGA guaranteed 100 days of work, the new framework would extend employment up to 125 days.
He added that special provisions have been made to ensure work availability during the agricultural season.
Vishwakarma stressed that the Union government is tightening systems to prevent fake job cards and fraudulent beneficiaries from availing welfare schemes' benefits.
Drawing a contrast with previous governments at the Centre, the State BJP President recalled former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's statement that only a small portion of welfare funds reached citizens due to leakages.
"Today, under Prime Minister Modi, benefits are transferred directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts through online platforms," he said.
Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, Vishwakarma accused the party of repeatedly renaming schemes and misleading the public.
He asked whether such practices amounted to disrespect towards past leaders and alleged that the Congress has historically opposed initiatives centred on villages, work and cultural identity.
Terming the Congress a "corruption factory", Vishwakarma said that Prime Minister Modi has deliberately avoided naming schemes after himself, instead emphasising public service and accountability.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, in his address, said the press conference was convened to explain the objectives and scope of the VB-G RAM G scheme.
He noted that over the past 11 years, the Prime Minister's initiatives have consistently prioritised public welfare and the upliftment of marginalised sections of society.
Citing flagship schemes such as PM Jan Dhan Yojana, Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, PM SVANidhi, Har Ghar Jal, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and PM Matru Vandana Yojana, Chief Minister Patel said that nearly 25 crore people across the country have been lifted out of poverty.
--IANS
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