PM Modi’s Independence Day speech focuses on food security, clean energy

Agricultural reform, clean energy, sanitation and rural electrification were among the major issues that found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech today. Stressing on the shift in work culture from isolated to integrated development and entitlement to empowerment, Modi apprised the country about the work done by his government the past one year.  

1. Expressing concern over rising pulse prices due to prolonged drought, the PM said that the NDA government is giving importance to save water. Highlighting the ‘per drop, more crop' initiative, he talked about the need for micro irrigation and reducing the input cost of farmers. To that extent, the government has distributed 77,000 solar pumps so far.
2. He lauded farmers for helping the country tackle pulse crisis by sowing 1.5 times the usual quantity. In order to address the issue of declining yield per hectare, he commended the role of self-help groups that had been creating awareness among farmers about soil and seed quality.
3. Modi said that the work is on progress to build food godowns with a capacity of storing 1.5 million tonne. By 2022, the government plans to double the income of farmers.
4. Touching upon the issue of global warming, the PM urged people to use LED bulbs, save energy and curb this phenomenon. The government plans to distribute 77 crore more LED bulbs that can save 20,000 MW of electricity worth Rs 125,000 crore
5. On the issue of rural electrification, he claimed that out of 18,000 villages that had no electricity in 2014, 10,000 villages have already got electricity. The rate at which power transmission lines have been laid has increased to 50,000 km in a year from 30,000-35,000 km earlier.
6. The PM also mentioned that the goal of his government is to achieve “One nation, one grid and one price” by making a reference to reduced power tariff in Telangana.
7. On sanitation, Modi said that his government has built two crore toilets and more than 70,000 villages are open-defecation free.
8. Taking about clean cooking fuel, the PM claimed that the government has given four crore new connections of cooking gas to people with five million poor families getting connection in the past 100 days. It aims at providing 50 million BPL households with LPG connection in three years.
9. Without making a direct reference to attacks on Dalits, PM Modi touched upon the need for social justice and social unity. He said, “A strong country cannot be built without a strong society which is based on social justice.”

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India Environment Portal Resources :

• Universal PDS: efficiency and equity dimensions
• Renewable energy’s transformation of the Indian electricity landscape
• Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Renewable energy for electrification of villages, 14/12/2015
• Reaching India’s renewable energy targets cost-effectively