NEW DELHI:Amid protest over the three farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that reforms are needed for the country’s development and we “cannot build the next century with the laws of the previous century”.
PM Modi was speaking at the launch of Agra Metro through video conference.
“Reforms are needed for development. Reforms are very much needed for a new order and to give new facilities. We cannot build the next century with the laws of the previous century,” news agency PTI quoted the Prime Minister as saying. “Some laws that used to be good in the past century have become a burden in the present century. Reforms should be a continuous process,” he added.
PM Modi further said that his government is carrying out “holistic” reforms. “Earlier, reforms used to happen in a piecemeal manner, or keeping in mind some sectors and departments,” PM Modi was quoted as saying. He said that the reforms carried out in recent past have infused self-confidence in the country, adding that people will be satisfied when they go through the “finer details”.
“This confidence has been seen in every election in the recent past. A glimpse of this confidence is seen in the election results in every part of the country, including UP,” he said.
PM Modi also said that in recent years, the poor and the middle class have showered their “unprecedented blessings” on the efforts of the government. He said that their support and the small joys experienced by the countrymen “gives me the courage to do new things and take new initiatives”.
Interestingly, the Prime Minister made no direct reference to the farmers’ protests.
PM Modi said that a major problem in the country’s infrastructure sector was that new projects were announced but not much attention was given on how they will be funded. His government ensures the availability of funds at the start of a new project itself, PM Modi said.
He said that over Rs 100 lakh crore will be spent under the National Infrastructure Pipeline project and work is being done on the master plan for multi-modal connectivity. Efforts are also on to attract investment from all over the world to improve the country’s infrastructure, he said.
Work is being carried out on 1,000 km of new metro rail lines in 27 cities countrywide, Modi said, claiming big progress in this sector since his first government took charge in 2014.
The Rs 8,379.62-crore Agro Metro project has two corridors with a total length of 29.4 km and will connect major tourist attractions like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Sikandara with railway stations and bus stands. The project is scheduled to be completed in 5 years.
PM Modi’s emphasis on the importance of reforms comes ahead of Tuesday’s Bharat Bandh over the three farm laws recently enacted at the Centre.
These are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.