MODI’S INCLUSIVE VISION: WATER, BANKING AND DIGNITY FOR ALL

Narrators recall PM Modi’s transformative impact at the grassroots, where initiatives such as Har Ghar Jal and Jan Dhan have turned basic needs into pathways to dignity, opportunity and empowerment

PM’s tap water scheme changed the economic, ecological landscape of our village - Kaushalya Rawat, Former sarpanch, Kyar Kuli Bhatta village, U’khand, Chandrakala Bisht, Resident, Kyar Kuli Bhatta village

Water crisis was the most pressing problem that our village perennially suffered from. People had to walk long distances through treacherous inclines to fetch water for their homes. Household chores got delayed and precious time was wasted in just arranging for water all day. Boys and girls also had to contribute to this responsibility and this affected their studies. Water shortage caused grave inconvenience in running any business or venturing into any enterprise, which scuttled people’s economic opportunities. Women suffered the most in managing things with such scarce water availability. There were some taps in the village but they mostly ran dry and proved grossly insufficient to suffice for our needs. There were frequent scuffles among villagers to get that extra drop of water.

In this situation, the need of the hour was to ensure easy availability of water for hundreds of villagers. It is then that I heard about the new scheme launched by the PM called the Har Ghar Jal Yojana. I soon contacted the water resource department and the officials there explained to me the process and benefits of the scheme. I immediately called a meeting of villagers and convinced them to adopt the scheme, even as they were initially apprehensive that it might be a costly proposition and the monthly bills would be exorbitant. I thank them for their cooperation and eventually the scheme took off.

Today, the scheme is running successfully in the village and we got individual connections by just paying Re 1. Every tap has water today, 24x7. There is happiness all around. Many youngsters who had left the village for greener pastures are returning to run homestays and explore other business avenues back home as water is no longer an issue here. The availability of water has not only eased the daily lives of villagers but has also opened up new possibilities for livelihood and economic growth. Families now have more time; children can focus better on their studies and women no longer have to spend hours worrying about arranging water for their homes.

Later, during a virtual discussion of PM Narendra Modi with village heads, I had the first opportunity to interact with him. Modi ji talked to me about the scheme and I thanked him for the same. I was very inspired by his talks and thought of doing something more for my village. His words encouraged me to look beyond the immediate problem and think about how we could contribute towards building a better and greener future for our community.

Then I decided to plant 1 lakh saplings in and around my village where there were water sources. Till now, we have been able to plant and nurture over 45,000 trees and will soon reach the 1 lakh mark. The initiative has given the villagers another reason to come together and work for the betterment of the village. From solving the water crisis to creating a greener environment, the journey has shown us how collective effort and the right government support can transform the lives of an entire community.

Thanks to PM Modi, today I have my own bank account - Sandeep Kumar, Rohtak, Haryana

A few years back when I went to open a bank account in my name at a bank, I was asked to bring a multitude of papers I knew not what. They also asked me to bring Rs 5,000 in cash along with those papers. I was confused and demoralised and so I came back home. Being a poor farmer, I didn’t have the money to open a bank account. Nor did I understand the jumble of papers required. The plan was dropped and I went back to my daily life, believing that perhaps having a bank account was not meant for people like me.

Then, after some years, I was discussing with a friend of mine that I wanted to open a bank account but it was not happening due to the lengthy and complicated official procedures that had intimidated me. He then introduced me to the scheme called Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. He told me that opening an account was never this easy and that there was no hassle like before. I went to the bank and under the scheme, I was only asked to show my Aadhaar and PAN card and it was done. I was not asked for any money and I could not believe it could all be so fast and easy. The entire process that had once seemed impossible to me was completed without any difficulty.

Bank accounts, we thought, were a premise of the rich and we poor in the village couldn’t even dream of it. We had always remained dependent on cash and informal arrangements and had little understanding of formal banking. But PM Modi’s idea and his initiative changed our world. Today, various incentives and benefits that come from the government land up straight into my account. Earlier, half of it was lost in the process but today there is so much transparency that not a single rupee is lost. The money reaches me directly and I can use it for my family and farming needs without depending on anyone.

I also had the opportunity to interact with the PM and he asked me if government schemes were reaching me in full and in time. I thanked him for his concern and his innovative schemes which are benefitting lakhs of poor people like me. His words made me realise that the government was genuinely trying to ensure that ordinary people like us could become part of the formal financial system.

I am now so inspired and motivated by the PM that I plan to adopt modern technology in my farming and also go for organic farming in the near future, becoming a better farmer and a better person. The journey from being unable to open a simple bank account to receiving government benefits directly has given me confidence, dignity and a new hope for the future.

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA