Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared efforts to stop the “leakage” of welfare funds could have been made earlier by previous governments, but there was no intention and willpower.
Modi was speaking to a gathering of NRIs after inaugurating the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.
Modi alluded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's comment that only 15 paise of Rs 1 reaches the masses and said the Congress governments had done nothing to stop the leakage. Modi added that his government had stepped in to rectify the situation. The "85 per cent loot" taking place during the Congress regime had been plugged "100 per cent" through technology, he said.
"We have given about Rs 5,80,000 crore to people, transferred to their bank accounts through various schemes. Imagine, if the country was being run on the older system? Then Rs 4,50,000 crore would have vanished," Modi said.
"Our government is moving towards ensuring that the aid given by government is directly transferred to beneficiary accounts through direct benefit schemes," Modi said.
Modi described NRIs as India's brand ambassadors and said they were the symbols of the country's capabilities.
"I consider NRIs India's brand ambassadors. They are the symbols of our capacities and capabilities," Modi told the gathering.
"People of Indian origin are in leadership roles in countries such as Mauritius, Portugal and Ireland," he said.
Mauritian Premier Pravind Jugnauth, who is the chief guest for the three-day event, also spoke on the occasion.
He hailed Modi for India's transformation through initiatives such as the Skill India and the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao schemes.
He also praised Modi's global stewardship in promoting clean energy and for setting up the International Solar Alliance.
Jugnauth announced that his country will hold a Bhagwad Gita Mahotsav next month and a Bhojpuri Festival next year.
For the first time, the three-day convention is being organised from January 21 to 23 instead of January 9 to allow participants to visit the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad and attend the Republic Day parade in the national capital.
The theme of this year's convention is Role of Indian diaspora in building new India.
