Your Excellency Dr. Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Your Excellency Dr. Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Honourable Ministers
Ladies and Gentlemen
A famous poet of Persia, Hafez once said:
रोज़े- हिज्रो-शबे-फ़ुर्क़ते-यार आख़र शुद
ज़दम इन फ़ालो-गुज़श्त अख़्तरो कार आख़र शुद्
[Meaning: Days of separation are over; night of wait is coming to an end; Our friendship will stay forever.]
Today, we are all witnessing creation of
history. Not just for the people of our three countries, but for the
entire region. To build bonds of connectivity is the most basic of human
urges. Today, we seek to fulfil it. We are grateful to Excellency
Rouhani for hosting this unique event. Thank you President Ashraf Ghani,
for your presence. It truly holds a special significance. It is a
privilege to be here. Excellency Rouhani, President Ghani and I have
just held detailed discussions on a range of issues. The agenda for
economic engagement is a clear priority for us. We stand together in
unity of our purpose. To carve out new routes of peace, and prosperity
is our common goal. We want to link with the world. But, better
connectivity among ourselves is also our priority. It is indeed a new
dawn for the region.
Excellencies,
Iran, Afghanistan and India are deeply
aware of the richness and reality of our ancient links. Through
centuries, art and culture, ideas and knowledge, language and traditions
have formed a common bond between us. Even through turmoil of history,
our societies never lost touch with each other. Today, we meet to write
new chapters in our engagement.
Excellencies, The Agreement on the
establishment of a Trilateral Transport and Transit Corridor signed just
a while ago can alter the course of history of this region. It is a new
foundation of convergence between our three nations. The corridor would
spur unhindered flow of commerce throughout the region. Inflow of
capital and technology could lead to new industrial infrastructure in
Chahbahar. This would include gas based fertilizer plants,
petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and IT. The key arteries of the corridor
would pass through the Chahbahar port of Iran. It's very location, on
the mouth of Gulf of Oman, is of great strategic significance.
Afghanistan will get an assured, effective, and a more friendly route to
trade with the rest of the world. The arc of economic benefit from this
agreement would extend beyond our three nations. Its reach could extend
to the depths of the Central Asian countries. When linked with the
International North South Transport Corridor, it would touch South Asia
at one end and Europe at another. And, studies show that as compared to
the traditional sea routes, it could bring down the cost and time of the
cargo trade to Europe by about 50%. Over time, we could even look to
connect it with the strong sea and land based routes that India has
developed with the Indian Ocean Region and South East Asia.
Excellencies,
The world of 21st century offers unique
opportunities.But, it also poses its own set of challenges.Today, the
nature of global engagement requires an attitude more suitable to this
century, not the mindset of the century gone by. Today, the watch-words
of international tiesare trust not suspicion; cooperation not dominance;
inclusivity not exclusion. This is also the guiding philosophy and
driving spirit of the Chahbahar Agreement. This will be a corridor of
peace and prosperity for our peoples. Motives of economic growth, and
empowerment would drive it. It will build our security without making
others vulnerable. It would break barriers among our nations and
encourage new benchmarks of people-to-people contacts. And, help us to
eventually build what we all desire and deserve - a friendly and healthy neighborhood.
Excellencies,
The world around us is changing in
fundamental ways. And, the lack of comprehensive connectivity is not the
only challenge that limits our national growth. Political turmoil and
undercurrents of economic stress continue to spread in West Asia. In the
Indo-Pacific, rise a mix of political competition and economic
opportunities is putting pressure on the existing Asian order. Global
economy is yet to fully come out of uncertainty and weakness. Our
present growth and future prosperity is under threat from the spread of
radical ideas and physical terror. Amidst this landscape, our three
countries are blessed with the most potent resource—our youth. Our three
nations are estimated to have more than 60 percent of their population
under 30 years of age. They are an asset in our national and regional
development. We want them to walk the road to knowledge and skills;
industry and enterprise. And, not fall victim to the path of guns and
violence. I am confident that economic fruits of the Chahbahar Agreement
will expand trade, attract investment, build infrastructure, develop
industry and create jobs for our youth. The Agreement will strengthen
our ability to stand in mutual support against those whose only motto is
to maim and kill the innocents. Its success will be a positive vote for
peace and stability in the region.
Excellencies, It is my strong belief
that trade and transit routes should only be a starting point of our
journey to greater connectivity. In my vision, the full spectrum of
connectivity agenda between Iran, Afghanistan and India should span:
•
from culture to commerce;
• from traditions to technology;
• from Investments to IT;
• from services to strategy; and
• from people to politics.
In a way, it is a pledge to:
• Realize the imperative of better connectivity;
• Establish peace and create stability;
• Build economic prosperity and engineer new trade ties;
• Curb radicalism and remove shadows of terror; and
• Break barriers and spread sweetness of familiarity among our people.
History will look back at this effort with nothing but approval and admiration.
I compliment Excellencies Rouhani and Ghani for their leadership in guiding this effort.
Mr. Micklethwait, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen.
I
am pleased to be here today to mark twenty years of Bloomberg’s
presence in India. During that period, Bloomberg has provided
intelligent commentary and incisive analysis of India’s economy. It has
become an essential part of the finance landscape.
Apart from
that, I am grateful for the valuable advice that we have received from
Mr. Michael Bloomberg in the design of our Smart Cities programme. As
Mayor of one of the world’s great cities, Mr. Bloomberg has personal
insight into what makes a city tick. His ideas have enriched the design
of our Smart Cities programme. Under this programme, we hope to create
one hundred cities which will become role models for urban development
throughout the country.
Among firms with low levels of leverage, the situation is even better.
Upgrades exceed downgrades by a huge margin. The number of upgrades is
6.8 times the number of downgrades for large firms with low leverage;
for medium-sized firms the ratio is 3.9; and for small firms it is 6.3.
These are exceptionally robust numbers.
The only segment showing
an increase in downgrades is highly leveraged large firms. The
Government and Reserve Bank have taken tough action to recover dues from
large corporate defaulters. Perhaps the noise from this segment has
influenced media perceptions.
Moving from credit to investment,
net foreign direct investment in the third quarter of the current
financial year was an all-time record. But to me, more interesting is
the dramatic increase in certain important sectors. In the period from
October 2014 to September 2015, FDI in fertilizer was 224 million
dollars compared to just one million in the period October 2013 to
September 2014; in sugar, it was 125 million dollars compared to just
four million dollars; in agricultural machinery, it doubled to 57
million dollars from 28 million dollars. These are sectors that are
closely connected with the rural economy. I am thrilled to see that
foreign investment is flowing into them.
In the year to
September 2015, FDI in construction activities showed 316 per cent
growth. Computer software and hardware had 285 per cent growth. FDI in
the automobile industry grew 71 per cent. This is concrete evidence that
the Make in India policy is having effect in employment intensive
sectors.
In a difficult global environment for exports,
manufacturing output has fluctuated. However, several key sub-sectors of
manufacturing are growing rapidly. Motor vehicle production, which is a
strong indicator of consumer purchasing power and economic activity,
has grown at 7.6 per cent. The employment-intensive wearing apparel
sector has grown at 8.7 per cent. Manufacturing of furniture has grown
by 57 per cent, suggesting a pick-up in sales of flats and houses.
Looking
towards the future, let me turn to agriculture. In the past, the
emphasis has been on agricultural output, rather than on farmers’
incomes. I have set the objective of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. I
have laid this out as a challenge, but it is not merely a challenge.
With a good strategy, well-designed programmes, adequate resources and
good governance in implementation, this target is achievable. And, as a
large share of our population depends on agriculture, a doubling of
farmers’ incomes will have strong benefits for other sectors of the
economy.
Let me outline our strategy.
• First, we have
introduced a big focus on irrigation with a large increase in budgets.
We are taking a holistic approach which combines irrigation with water
conservation. The aim is ‘per drop, more crop’.
• Second, we
are focusing on provision of quality seeds and on efficiency of nutrient
use. The provision of soil health cards enables accurate selection of
inputs according to the requirements of each field. These will lower
costs of production and increase net income.
• Third, a large
portion of the harvest is lost before it reaches the consumer. In
perishables the loss occurs in transit. In non-perishables, it happens
during storage. We are reducing post-harvest losses through big
investments in warehousing infrastructure and cold chain. We have
greatly increased the outlay for agricultural infrastructure.
•
Fourth, we are promoting value addition through food processing. As an
example, in response to a call from me, Coca Cola has recently started
adding fruit juice to some of its aerated drinks.
• Fifth, we
are creating a national agricultural market and removing distortions. A
common electronic market platform is being introduced across 585
regulated wholesale markets. We want to ensure that a higher share of
the final price goes to the farmer, with less going to middlemen. The
introduction of FDI in marketing of domestic food products in this
budget is with the same objective.
• Sixth, we have introduced
the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. It is a comprehensive nationwide
crop insurance programme which offers farmers protection from risks
beyond their control, at an affordable cost. This scheme will ensure
that their incomes are protected in times of adverse weather.
•
Seventh, we will increase income from ancillary activities. Partly this
will be through poultry, honey bees, farm ponds and fisheries. We are
also encouraging farmers to use uncultivated portions of their land,
especially boundaries between fields, for growing timber and placing
solar cells.
Through a combination of
• growth in production, • more efficient input use, • reduction in post-harvest losses, • higher value addition, • reduced marketing margins, • risk mitigation • and ancillary activities,
I am confident we will achieve the targeted doubling of farmers’
income. I am happy to note that Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, the doyen of
Indian agriculture, seems to agree. He wrote to me after the budget
expressing gratitude for the farmer-centric budget. He welcomed the
income orientation given to farming. He went on to say, and I quote,
“On the whole, the budget has tried to be as pro-farmer as possible
subject to the limitation of resources. Seeds have been sown for
agricultural transformation and for attracting and retaining youth in
farming. The dawn of a new era in farming is in sight.”
Let me
now turn to some of the programmes and policies that underpin our
growth. As I have said before, my goal is ‘Reform to Transform’: the aim
of reform is to transform the lives of ordinary people. Let me start
with administrative reforms and our focus on execution.
In a
country like India, resources are scarce, while problems are abundant.
An intelligent strategy is to optimize use of resources through
efficiency in implementation. Mere announcement of policies, or
so-called policies, achieves little. Even more than reformed policies,
we need transformed execution. Let me illustrate. The National Food
Security Act was passed in 2013 but remained without implementation in
most states. In the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme, much of the expenditure was leaking out to touts, middlemen and
the non-poor, though expenditure was recorded in the books.
We
are now implementing the Food Security Act nationwide. We have
drastically reduced leakages in the Employment Guarantee scheme and
ensured that money reaches those for whom it is intended. We have
focused on creating durable assets that benefit the population, rather
than the touts. And instead of talking about the virtues of financial
inclusion, we have actually completed the task and brought over 200
million people into the banking system.
Our record on
implementation in general, and reduction in corruption in particular, is
now well understood. So I will be brief. Coal, minerals and spectrum
have been auctioned transparently raising large amounts. Managerial
improvements have resulted in elimination of the power shortage, a
record high in highway construction per day and record port through-put.
We have launched a number of new programmes across various sectors.
Many legacy issues have been solved. The number of stalled projects has
declined. The long-closed Dabhol power plant is operational again thanks
to our coordinated efforts, and is generating power, saving jobs and
avoiding bad debts for the banks. Let me now turn to policy reforms. I
have referred to the durable reduction in inflation since this
Government took office. This is partly attributable to bold measures
taken to strengthen monetary policy. Last year, we entered into a
Monetary Framework Agreement with the Reserve Bank of India.
This
year we have introduced in the Finance Bill, amendments to the Reserve
Bank of India Act. Under these amendments, the RBI will have an
inflation target and will set monetary policy through a Monetary Policy
Committee. The committee will have no members from the Government.
Through this reform, monetary policy will acquire an inflation focus and
a level of institutional autonomy unprecedented in major emerging
markets, and greater than several developed countries. Together with our
adherence to the path of fiscal consolidation, this is a testimony to
our strong commitment to macro-economic prudence and stability.
Another
major policy reform is in the petroleum sector. Under the new
Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy, there will be pricing and
marketing freedom and a transparent revenue-sharing methodology. This
will eliminate many layers of bureaucratic controls. For on-going
projects which have not been developed, we have also given marketing and
pricing freedom, subject to a transparent ceiling based on published
import parity prices. For renewal of existing Production Sharing
Contracts, we have introduced a transparent method involving a flat
percentage increase in Government profit share. This removes discretion
and uncertainty.
Parliament has passed the Real Estate
Regulation Act which will go a long way in transforming the real estate
market, protecting buyers and promoting honest and healthy practices.
Along with the passing of this long pending bill, we have introduced tax
incentives for developers and buyers of housing for the neo-middle
class and the poor.
The UDAY scheme in the power sector has
permanently changed the incentive structure for State Governments.
Ambitious operational targets are backed by credible incentives to
perform.
Under this scheme, in a phased manner, State
Governments will have to take over losses of distribution companies and
count them against their fiscal deficit targets. This imposes a hard
budget constraint on the states. It creates a powerful incentive for
states to manage the electricity sector efficiently. Already nine states
accounting for over forty per cent of the total debt of distribution
companies, have entered into Memoranda of Understanding with the Central
Government. Another nine have agreed to do so.
You are probably
aware of this government’s sweeping policy reforms in renewable energy.
From an average of less than 1500 Megawatts of solar capacity addition
per annum, we are moving up to 10,000 Megawatts per annum. When I
announced a target of 175 Gigawatts of renewables, as a pillar of our
climate change strategy, many were surprised and some were skeptical.
Yet, this month the International Energy Agency has reported that a
surge in renewables has already halted global growth in energy-related
carbon emissions.
Parliament has recently passed a new law on
inland waterways which will enable the rapid development of this
efficient mode of transport. This will increase the number of navigable
waterways from 5 to 106.
Foreign Direct Investment policy has
been transformed by allowing investment in hitherto closed sectors like
Railways and Defence, and enhancing investment limits in insurance and
many other sectors. These reforms are already bearing fruit. Two new
locomotive factories involving an investment of over 500 billion dollars
are being built in Bihar, by GE and Alstom. In insurance, 9600 crore
rupees, approximately 150 million dollars of FDI, in 12 companies, from
leading global insurers has already been approved.
We have
enhanced the limits for foreign investment in stock exchanges and
allowed them to be listed. I am sure, you are aware, of the reforms we
have undertaken to promote private equity venture capital, and an
eco-system for start-ups. I note that this ‘new economy’ is the focus of
your panel discussions.
Finally, let me turn to the major steps
we have taken in the area of generating employment. This is one of my
highest priorities. India is a capital scarce, labour abundant country.
Yet, the corporate tax structure has favoured capital intensive
production. Tax benefits like accelerated depreciation, and investment
allowance have created an artificial bias against labour. Labour
regulations have also tended to promote informal employment without
social protection, rather than formal employment. We have taken two
important steps to change this.
Firstly, if any firm subject to
tax audit increases its work force, it will get a 30 per cent weighted
tax deduction on the extra wage cost for three years. Earlier, such a
benefit was available only to very few industrial employers and had so
many restrictions that it was practically ineffective. It will now cover
all sectors including services, for employees with a salary up to
25,000 rupees per month.
Secondly, the Government has taken the
responsibility for paying pension contributions for three years for all
new persons enrolling in the Employee Provident Fund. This will apply to
those with wages up to 15,000 rupees per month. We expect lakhs of the
unemployed, and the informally employed, to benefit from these steps.
In
a reform to eliminate corruption in government recruitments, we have
abolished interviews for lower and middle level positions. They will now
be filled on the basis of transparent examination results.
You
are aware that results of Government entrance examinations for
engineering and medical colleges are being used by private colleges
also. I am happy to announce one more measure to improve the labour
market and benefit the unemployed. The Government and Public Sector
Undertakings conduct a number of recruitment examinations. So far, the
scores in these examinations have been retained by the Government.
Hereafter, we will make available the results and the candidate
information openly to all employers, wherever consent is given by the
candidate. This will create a positive externality. It will provide a
rich data base which can be used by private sector employers as a
ready-made and objective sourcing and screening mechanism. It will
reduce search costs in the labour market for both employers and
employees. It will enable better matching of candidates from labour
surplus areas with jobs in other regions.
You may be aware of
the spectacular progress of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. Over 31
million loans have been sanctioned to entrepreneurs for a total value of
nearly 19 billion dollars this year. You will be pleased to know that
77 per cent of these entrepreneurs are women and 22 per cent of them are
from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Even if we assume
conservatively that on average, each enterprise creates just one
sustainable job, this initiative itself amounts to 31 million in new
employment. The Stand-Up India scheme will also provide 250,000
entrepreneurship loans to women and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes.
My government’s measures on skill development are well
known. In the Budget, we also announced two path-breaking reforms in the
education sector, which I want to elaborate upon. Our aim is to empower
higher educational institutions to help them attain the highest
standards. To start with, we will provide an enabling regulatory
architecture to ten public and ten private institutions, so that they
emerge as world-class teaching and research institutions. Their
regulatory framework will be separate from existing structures like the
University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical
Education. They will have complete autonomy on academic, administrative
and financial matters. We will provide additional resources for the next
five years for the ten public universities. This will eventually allow
ordinary Indians affordable access to world-class degree courses. This
initiative is the beginning of a journey to restore the original mandate
of higher education regulators.
They should be facilitators
and guides, driven by norms of self-disclosure and transparency, instead
of top-down command and control. Eventually, through regulatory reform,
we aspire to world-class standards in all colleges and universities.
Another initiative is in school education. We have achieved much
quantitative progress in access and pupil-teacher ratios. The foundation
of today’s knowledge economy is the quality of its school leavers. We
have now decided that the quality of learning outcomes will be the
Government’s primary objective. Accordingly, we will allocate an
increasing share of resources under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan to
quality. These funds will be used to promote local initiatives and
innovations to improve learning outcomes. I am sure, all of you who are
parents and all of you who are employers, will welcome these steps in
higher and school education respectively.
In conclusion, Ladies
and Gentlemen, we have initiated many steps. Many more lie ahead. Some
have begun bearing fruit. What we have achieved so far, gives me the
confidence that, with the support of the people, we can transform India.
I know it will be difficult. But I am sure it is do-able. And I am confident, it will be done.
मंच पर विराजमान सभी महानुभाव और विशाल संख्या में पधारे हुए प्यारे भाइयो और बहनों,
ये आपका उत्साह देख करके मैं अंदाज लगा
सकता हूं कि इस bridge के प्रति आप लोगों के मन में कितना महात्मय है, इस
bridge के कारण न सिर्फ यातायात लेकिन यहां के आर्थिक जीवन में भी कितना
बड़ा बदलाव आ सकता है इसका भली-भांति अंदाज आप सबके उत्साह के कारण मैं
अनुमान लगा सकता हूं।
मां गंगा उत्तरी बिहार और दक्षिणी बिहार,
दोनों को जोड़ती है लेकिन नागरिकों को जुड़ने के लिए व्यवस्थाएं आवश्यक
होती हैं। अब आप कल्पना कर सकते हैं जब नीतीश जी रेल संभालते थे, अटल
बिहारी वाजपेयी जी प्रधानमंत्री थे, तब का ये सपना इतने सालों के बाद आज
पूरा हो रहा है। अगर पिछले दस साल में इसको अगर neglect न किया गया होता,
routine budget के हिस्से से भी अगर काम किया होता तो भी शायद पांच-सात
साल पहले ये काम पूरा हो गया होता। 600 करोड़ रुपये की लागत से बनने वाला
प्रोजेक्ट विलंब होने के कारण 3000 करोड़ रुपये तक पहुंच गया। ये पैसे
जनता-जनार्दन के हैं लेकिन कोई न कोई ऐसे कारण आते हैं कि हमारे देश में
विकास की प्रक्रिया अलग हो जाती है और बाकी प्रक्रियाएं उभर करके आ जाती
हैं। पिछले 18 महीनों में इसका सबसे ज्यादा काम इतने कम समय में, 18
महीनों में हुआ। करीब 34 प्रतिशत काम जो अधूरा पड़ा था इसको पूरा किया गया
और हम मानते हैं कि अगर भारत का sustainable development करना है, अगर भारत
को आने वाले 25 साल, 30 साल तक लगातार विकास के नए-नए आंक पार करते जाना
है वो तब तक संभव नहीं होगा जब तक हमारा पूर्वी हिंदुस्तान develop नहीं
होगा। चाहे पूर्वी उत्तर प्रदेश हो, चाहे बिहार हो, चाहे पश्चिम बंगाल हो,
असम हो, नार्थ-ईस्ट हो, उड़ीसा हो, ये सारे क्षेत्र जितने तेजी से
develop होंगे हिंदुस्तान उतनी ही तेजी से आगे बढ़ने वाला है। अब भारत के
विकास की जो Nerve centre है वो Nerve centre Eastern India में है और अगर
हम पूर्वी भारत को आगे बढ़ाना चाहते हैं तो हम यह shortcut के रास्ते से
नहीं कर पाएंगे।
अब तक हम तत्कालीन समस्याओं को स्पर्श
करते गए। लोगों की तत्कालीन आवश्यकताओं को address करते गए लेकिन अब समय
की मांग है कि हम लोगों की तत्कालीन आवश्यकताओं को तो जरूर address करें
लेकिन इस पूरे क्षेत्र को विकास की नई ऊंचाइयों पर ले जाना है तो लंबे अरसे
की व्यवस्थाओं को भी विकसित करना अनिवार्य है।
Rail और road, infrastructure, उसके अंदर
इतनी ताकत होती है कि वह विकास की न सिर्फ नींव रख देते हैं बल्कि विकास
को गति भी दे देते हैं और इसलिए पिछली सरकार ने पांच साल में रेलवे के पीछे
बिहार में जितना खर्चा किया, उससे करीब-करीब ढाई गुना ज्यादा पिछले डेढ़
साल में वर्तमान सरकार ने किया है। यह इसलिए किया है कि बिल्कुल मेरा यह
conviction है कि भारत का भाग्य बदलना है तो हमें बिहार का भाग्य पहले
बदलना होगा। बिहार को विकास की नई ऊंचाइयों पर ले जाना होगा। केन्द्र और
राज्य मिलकर के, कंधे से कंधा मिलाकर के इस काम को करेंगे, यह मेरा पूरा
विश्वास है और इसलिए infrastructure मुख्यतः , रेलवे और road आज उत्तर
बिहार-दक्षिण बिहार को जोड़ने वाले तीन प्रोजेक्ट का एक साथ लोकार्पण एवं
शिलान्यास हो रहा है।
अब आप देखिए, एक काम तो मैं आज वो कर रहा
हूं कि जहां पर पहले मोकामा दोनों तरफ डबल लाइन थी लेकिन बीच में bridge
ऐसा था कि वहां डबल लाइन नहीं थी और उसके कारण वो दोनों तरफ की डबल लाइन का
जो खर्चा है उसका कोई उपयोग ही नहीं है क्योंकि वो आकर के bottleneck बन
जाता था। अब इस बात को हमने हाथ में लिया है और मुझे विश्वास है कि हम समय
की सीमा में इसको पूरा करके देंगे और उस इलाके के विकास के लिए भी एक बहुत
बड़ी गति आ जाएगी।
मेरे बिहार के नौजवानों, आपकों एक बहुत
बड़ा तोहफा इन दिनों मिला है। दो locomotives, इसके बहुत बड़े कारखाने
बिहार के धरती पर लग रहे हैं। 2006-07 से यह कागज पर मसला चल रहा है,
भाषणों में काम आ रहा है लेकिन धरती पर कुछ हो नहीं पा रहा है। कोई टेंडर
के लिए तैयार नहीं होता था। हमने कुछ innovative चीजें कीं टेंडर में। हमने
export का लक्ष्य तय किया, हमने भारत की requirement का हिसाब लगाकर के
order place का निर्णय किया और वह एक ऐसी रचना थी कि दुनिया की बड़ी-बड़ी
कंपनियों को लगा कि अब हम इसके अंदर टेंडर लेकर के जा सकते हैं और अगर मिल
गया तो काम हो सकता है। उस प्रक्रिया ने रंग लाया। दुनिया की बहुत बड़ी
कंपनियां आईं। 40 हजार करोड़ रुपयों का Foreign direct investment इन दो
जगहों पर, बिहार की धरती पर आने वाला है, वो हिन्दुस्तान के अंदर सबसे
बड़ा माना जाएगा। यह प्रक्रिया पूरी हो चुकी है और कम समय में यह सरकार
बनने के बाद, 18 महीने मिले है हमें दिल्ली में लेकिन 18 महीनों में बिहार
हमारी प्राथमिकता है क्योंकि भारत का विकास करने के लिए बिहार का विकास
अनिवार्य है, यह हम मानते हैं। इसलिए इस काम को भी अंजाम दिया गया है और
उसका परिणाम भी आने वाले दिनों में मिलने वाला है।
भाइयो-बहनों, आज के युग में गैस पाइपलाइन
भी उतना ही महत्व रखती है। अगर हम गैस कनेक्टिविटी करते हैं, पाइपलाइन का
खर्चा बहुत होता है लेकिन उसके बावजूद भी बिहार को गैस कनेक्टिविटी से
जोड़ने की दिशा में हम तेज गति से आगे बढ़ रहे हैं जो आने वाले दिनों में
यहां के जीवन में एक बहुत बड़ा बदलाव लाने वाला है।
मेरे बिहार के प्यारे भाइयो-बहनों, आपने
इस बजट में देखा होगा कि हमने गरीब परिवारों को गैस कनेक्शन देने का बीड़ा
उठाया है। मैं जानता हूं काम कठिन है। गरीबी की रेखा के नीचे जीने वाले
पांच करोड़ परिवारों को आने वाले तीन वर्ष के अंदर-अंदर चूल्हे की जगह पर
गैस का सिलेंडर मिल जाए और उन माताओं-बहनों को धुएं से बचा लिया जाए, उनके
आरोग्य की चिन्ता की जाए, इसके लिए एक अहम जिम्मेवारी सिर पर उठाई है।
वैज्ञानिक कहते हैं कि चूल्हा जलाकर के, लकड़ी जलाकर के, कोयला जलाकर के
जो मॉं खाना पकाती है तो खाना पकाते-पकाते जितना धुंआ उसके शरीर में जाता
है वो 400 सिगरेट के बराबर होता है। एक दिन में 400 सिगरेट का धुंआ अगर
हमारी माताओं के शरीर में जाए तो उनके शरीर का क्या हाल होगा, उनके
बच्चों का क्या हाल होगा। यह मानवता का काम है इसलिए हमने सरकार की
तिजोरी से जितना खर्चा लगे लेकिन बीड़ा उठाया है कि गरीब परिवारों को अब यह
चूल्हा, यह कोयला, उसका धुंआ, उससे मुक्ति दिलानी है।
मेरे प्यारे भाइयो-बहनों, हमारे देश में
आजादी के इतने साल हो गए। अब भी गांवों में बिजली नहीं पहुंची है और बिजली
पहुंचाना, यह कोई लक्ज़री नहीं है। बिजली अब जीवन का हिस्सा बन गई है। वो
कोई रईसों का खेल नहीं है, गरीबों के लिए जरूरी है। मैंने एक दिन review
लिया कि भई क्या हाल है? मैं हैरान था आजादी के 70 साल होने आए, 18 हजार
गांव ऐसे थे जहां अभी बिजली का खंभा भी नहीं पहुंचा। मैंने अफसरों को कहा,
मुझे एक हजार दिन में काम पूरा करना है। जो 70 साल में नहीं हुआ वो एक हजार
दिन में पूरा करना है। बीड़ा उठाया। अभी तो हजार दिन पूरा होने में देर
है, बहुत दिन बाकी है लेकिन मुझे आज पता चला कि 6,000 से अधिक गांवों का
काम पूरा होगा, बिजली पहुंच गई है और उसका सबसे ज्यादा लाभ उत्तर प्रदेश
और बिहार के गांवों को मिला है। मैं नीतीश जी का आभारी हूं कि इस काम को
गति देने में उनकी राज्य सरकार की तरफ से भी पूरा सहयोग मिलता रहा है और
उसके कारण यह काम भारत सरकार गति से कर रही है। मुझे तो विश्वास है अगर एक
बार भारत सरकार और बिहार सरकार तय कर ले तो पूरे हिन्दुस्तान में ये जो
18,000 गांवों का काम बाकी है, उसमें से बिहार को सबसे पहले हम पूरा करके
एक गौरावान्वित बिहार बना सकते हैं और जिस तरह काम चला है, मेरा विश्वास
है कि हो जाएगा, यह काम हो जाएगा।
मेरे प्यारे भाइयो-बहनों, चाहे बिजली हो,
सड़क हो, पानी हो, रेल हो, इन चीजों को सामान्य मानिवकी की आवश्यकताएं
हैं और उन आवश्यकताओं की पूर्ति करने का प्रयास है। बिहार से बहुत बड़ी
मात्रा में हमारे नौजवान हिन्दुस्तान के कोने-कोने में आते-जाते रहते
हैं। पढ़ने के लिए जाते हैं, रोजी-रोटी कमाने के लिए जाते हैं लेकिन रेलवे
में अगर जाना है तो उसका दम उखड़ जाता है। लंबी सफर की ट्रेनों में आरक्षण
की सीमा रहती है। इस बार हमारे रेल मंत्री श्रीमान सुरेश प्रभु जी ने एक
बड़ा अहम कदम उठाया है और मैं मानता हूं उस अहम कदम का अगर सबसे ज्यादा
कोई फायदा उठाएगा तो बिहार का नौजवान उठाएगा। वो अहम कदम यह उठाया है कि
लंबी सफर की जो ट्रेन है उसमें दो या चार डिब्बे ऐसे लगेंगे, दीन-दयाल
डिब्बे, जिसमें आप last moment भी चढ़ जाना है तो चढ़ जाओ और जहां जाना है
पहुंच जाओ। ये इसलिए किया कि गरीब व्यक्ति, उसको अगर दूर जाना है, बेटा
अगर बिहार से बाहर कहीं काम कर रहा है, अचानक मांबीमार पड़ गई और उसको
पहुंचना है तो reservation तो संभव नहीं होता है। ये एक ऐसी व्यवस्था
रहेगी कि जिसके कारण ऐसे लोग परेशानी न भुगतें, और समय पर पहुंच सकें।
विषयों को ऐसे लिया गया है कि जिसके कारण
आज हमारे देश में एक neo middle class, middle class उसका bulk भी बहुत बढ़
रहा है। बहुत बड़ी मात्रा में middle class का bulk बढ़ रहा है। वो पहले
से थोड़ी plus सुविधा चाहता है। और इसलिए हमने एक हमसफर ट्रेन शुरू करना तय
किया है जिसमें तृतीय श्रेणी की air-condition train रहेगी जो सामान्य
middle class, lower middle class के लोग आर्थिक रूप से उनको ये सुविधा
रहेगी और वे अच्छी स्पीड से चल पाएगी।
हमारे देश में रेल बहुत पुरानी है। लेकिन
रेलवे को हम अब पुरानी रहने देंगे तो रेल बोझ बन जाएगी। जिस रेल ने
हिंदुस्तान को गति दी, वह रेल अगर वैसे ही पुराने हालात में रही तो वो ही
बोझ बनते देर नहीं लगेगी इसलिए रेल का पूरी तरह नवीनीकरण होना चाहिए। उस
दिशा में सुरेश जी हमारे बड़े innovative हैं, नए-नए ideas लाते हैं,
दुनिया के लोगों से माथापच्ची करते रहते हैं। विदेशों से धन भी लाते हैं
और मैं विश्वास से कहता हूं कि बहुत ही कम समय में पूरी रेल का कायाकल्प
हो जाएगा, रेल का नवीनीकरण हो जाएगा। चाहे वो infrastructure का मसला हो,
चाहे गति का मामला हो, चाहे पैसेंजरों की qualitative सेवा का मसला हो,
चाहे रेलवे स्टेशनों की सुविधा का मसला हो, चाहे passenger की complaint
का मुद्दा हो, चाहे digital technology के द्वारा मोबाइल फोन से रेलवे की
सेवाएं लेने की बात हो, अनेक पहलुओं पर एक बहुत ही comprehensive way में
रेलवे के नवीनीकरण का काम चल रहा है।
एक
बीड़ा उठाया है, तेजस नाम की ट्रेन। ये तेजस ट्रेन 130 की स्पीड से चलाने
का इरादा है। आज हमारी ट्रेन बहुत कम स्पीड से चलती है। इतना बड़ा देश वो
अब छुक-छुक गाड़ी से नहीं चल सकता है, उसको गति देने की आवश्यकता है
इसलिए एक नया concept प्रायोगिक रूप में , तेजस के द्वारा तेज गति से चलाने
का इरादा ले करके हम आगे बढ़ रहे हैं।
मैं ये सारी बातों से आपको विश्वास
दिलाना चाहता हूं, मैं देशवासियों को विश्वास दिलाना चाहता हूं कि रेल ये
सिर्फ यातायात या आवागमन का साधन नहीं है, रेल भारत के अर्थतंत्र को गति
देने वाला एक गतिशील माध्यम है और उसको गति देने की दिशा में हम स्वयं
सरकार को गतिशील बनाये हैं और ये ही आने वाले दिनों में परिणाम देने वाला
है।
आज ये जो तीनों प्रोजेक्ट प्रारंभ हुए
हैं, मैं मानता हूं पटना के लिए एक बहुत बड़ा वरदान है। आज already ट्रेनें
चलनी शुरू हो गई हैं। चाहे मुंगेर हो, चाहे मोकामा हो, ये तीनों पूरे
बिहार को एक प्रकार से अपने-आप में समाहित कर लेते हैं। इसका कितना बड़ा
प्रभाव पैदा होने वाला है, इसका बिहार के हर व्यक्ति को पता है।
मैं आज बिहार को लाख-लाख शुभकामनाएं देता हूं, बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद देता हूं और Railway ministry को भी बहुत बधाई देता हूं। धन्यवाद ।
