Chandigarh, June 23 - Haryana Minister of State for Sports Shri Gaurav Gautam said that after the year 2014, the country has entered an unprecedented era. These 11 years are not just a period of governance, but a period of nation building in which India has touched new heights of modern development while taking pride in its ancient cultural heritage.
The Minister of State for Sports was addressing a press conference in Manesar today on the completion of 11 years of the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. During this, Pataudi MLA Mrs. Bimala Chaudhary was present.
Minister Shri Gaurav Gautam said that these four pillars of poor, farmers, women and youth are the focal points of the good governance of the Modi government. With the goal of Antondaya Uthan, 29 crore people have been lifted above the poverty line in the last 11 years. With the Jal Jeevan Mission, 15 crore villagers have reached water from the tap in their homes. With the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 4 crore families have been given permanent houses.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the country has moved forward towards becoming open defecation free to uphold the dignity of our motherland. Firmness and national interest have been paramount in Prime Minister Modi's decisions. Be it the removal of Article 370 from Manju-Kashmir, surgical strikes after the Pulwama attack, or the recent connection of the Kashmir Valley with the country through the Chenab Bridge, his every decision bears the hallmark of a new India.
He said that before 2014, there was an atmosphere of corruption, nepotism and despair in the country. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, transparency, technological innovation and the pace of development were given top priority, the result of which is today India's strong presence on the world stage.
He said that missions like Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan and Digital India have made India a leading technological power in the world. The Indian economy, which was ranked 10th in the year 2014, has today become the fourth largest and the third fastest growing economy in the world.
He said that the Modi government has resolved to make Nari Shakti the national power. The Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign started from Haryana under the leadership of the Prime Minister and its results under the set targets are part of these meaningful efforts.
He said that before the year 2014, the number of universities in the country was 490, which has now increased to 1213. He said that in the year 2014, where there were only 74 airports in the country, today their number has increased to 160. PM Gati Shakti, Bharatmala and Sagarmala projects have given a new direction to the country's infrastructure.
The Minister of State for Sports, while describing Haryana's contribution in this important journey of development, said that the state has played a leading role in the welfare of farmers, industrial investment, achievements of sportsmen and connecting the youth with employment. The Prime Minister has gifted Haryana with big projects every time. This is the first government in the country which has taken a step forward in the direction of skill development and has established a Skill University in Palwal.
Comparing the Sports Department, Gaurav Gautam said that in the 10 years of the Congress government (2004-2014), only Rs 38.45 crore cash awards were given to the players, while the current government has given Rs 592.84 crore cash awards to the players from 2014 to 2024. This shows how committed the Naib Saini government of Haryana is to the upliftment of the players under the guidance of the Prime Minister.