New Delhi: People are repeatedly giving a clear mandate to the NDA because it is making efforts to bring equality through the welfare of the downtrodden, exploited and backward classes while working for the development of the country, BJP MP Geeta said on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha.
Initiating the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, Geeta alias Chandraprabha noted that as many 27 ministers are from OBCs in the Union Council of Minister and 20 belong to SC and ST communities while 11 union ministers are women.
The BJP MP, who is elected from Uttar Pradesh, especially highlighted the implementation of various welfare measures in the poll-bound state, where the first phase of voting will be held on February 10.
“People have given us a clear mandate in 2019 (elections) on the basis of the work done in the preceding five years for the welfare of the downtrodden, exploited and backward classes and for developmental works of the country,” she said.
The BJP MP stressed that the government is taking several measures for ensuring equality in the society that include providing reservation for the economically weaker sections and running welfare schemes for the SC, ST and OBC communities.
She also highlighted the finalisation of the list of OBCs which would benefit 671 communities in the country.
About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, she told the House that about 1.75 crore houses have been built under the scheme so far and the number is 20 lakh in urban areas in Uttar Pradesh and 25 lakh in rural areas in the state.
She also lauded the government’s efforts for ensuring sanitation facilities in all districts of the country and for providing bi-toilets in trains as part of Swach Bharat Abhiyaan.
The MP also told the House that under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, about 16 crore families are benefited. It gas covered a population of 55 crore in the country while in Uttar Pradesh around two crore families are getting health facilities under it.
She spoke about initiatives like providing health infrastructure and facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly oxygen plants, and free vaccination in the entire country.
She said that 16 medical colleges were built while 14 are under construction in the last four and half years in Uttar Pradesh.
“The government is working on one district one medical college,” she said.
The BJP MP also pointed to the government’s efforts for women empowerment which includes raising the age for marriage for girls to 21 years from 18 years.
Shwait Malik of the BJP attacked the previous Congress-led governments, accusing them of corruption and “breaking the back of the common man”.
He also criticised Articles 370 and 35 A that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, terming them as a “blunder”.
“For 70 years under your misrule there were 16,000 ventilators but through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts 59,000 ventilators were made available,” he said on the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During Malik’s address, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma objected to remarks of the BJP MP against “those who worked for the country”.
Consequently, Deputy Chairman of the Upper House Harivansh appealed to members to be patient while hearing each other’s speeches.
Continuing his address, Malik praised the present government’s efforts to combat the pandemic by rolling out a successful vaccination programme.
He observed that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a befitting reply to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism by carrying out surgical strikes.
