Speaking at an event on `20 years of Modi governance’ before an audience of BJP workers on Wednesday Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman praised PM Modi’s approach to governance and his trust in people for the successful implementation of digital payment systems in India which she says has proved the naysayers wrong.
The Finance Minister also talked about the use of digital payments systems during the Covid-19 pandemic when people received money directly in their bank accounts by ‘pressing a button’. She adds if people could not reach the banks or did not know how to take it, the bank Mitra went to the village and delivered their money.
She also compared the scenario to that in ‘advanced counties’ where some of them were writing (aid) checks, putting them in an envelope and sending them to people through the post.
Crediting Prime Minister Modi’s approach to governance for the success she said Several doubts were raised about how electronic payments would work, especially in rural areas where Internet connectivity is patchy, but now “in spite of Covid India leads the world in UPI payments,”
About the Prime Minister’s approach to governance she said it starts with “trust our people, trust our industry, trust our women and trust our families,”
Talkin about the skepticism around the UPI payments system she remembered how a UPA minister it was impossible to popularize electronic payments claiming “how would one pay ₹7 to a vegetable vendor electronically”. She says that doubt has been dispelled now.
Targetting the congress the veteran BJP leader said during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government was in power a new corruption scam would emerge every day, but in the last eight years, nobody has even “carelessly” accused the Modi government of corruption.
She also credited the Modi government for changes made in the format of Padma awards, she said “We do not know any of them. They are picked from the hinterlands, from the corners of the country. They are great achievers themselves but we did not have time to recognise them. We did not know how to locate them. But Modiji’s team locates every one of them,”
“Delivery is the story”, the finance minister said, adding that there had been slogans like `Garibi Hatao’ and promises to provide things like potable water in the past. “But all that is getting fulfilled now, because here is a man (Modi) who is dedicated to the country,” the finance minister added
With inputs from PTI
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