PM Modi launches country's 1st solar-powered e-boats

VARANASI: Launching the country's first solar powered e-boats in river Ganga in his parliamentary constituency -Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe on Congress by saying, "Wo sarkarey gayi jo sirf amiro ko diya karti thi, ye sarkar unkey liye hai jinka duniya me koyi nahi (gone are the governments that gave everything to wealthy people, this government is for those who have nobody for help)."

Mentioning how dalits, tribal and backward class people are benefited with his Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Modi also targeted banks indirectly on liquor giant Vijay Mallya episode. "Poor of this country do not want loans in thousands of crores or rupees. Their requirement is meager. The way these poor people are repaying the banks should be judged that who is really `rich' by heart." He also cautioned boatmen not to misuse their earning, which is going to be increased by conversion of their manual or diesel motor boats into e-boats, for consuming liquor.

On Sunday evening Modi reached Varanasi's Assi Ghat, the same venue along river Ganga, where he had launched his much hyped Clean India campaign on November 8, 2014, to launch the e-boat service. After distributing 11 e-boats to their owners, he also took a solar panelled e-boat ride in a circle of about 100 meters in front of Assi Ghat. Following this boat ride amidst traditional slogan of 'Har Har Mahadev' by the charged gathering at ghat steps, he appeared on the dais along with British high commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith and other Bhartiya Janata Party leaders.

During his over 30 minutes speech, Modi kept Congress on target. "At the time of launching seven satellites to provide GPS service, we kept the courageous boatmen in mind and renamed this service as `Navik'. In previous governments people had witnessed how the projects, schemes and services were named after the members of one family. Being politicians, it also came to our minds to rename it after leaders like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Shyama Prasad Mukherji, but we overcame that greediness and preferred Navik only", said Modi.
Praising 21 crores poor families that opened their bank accounts under PM Jan Dhan Yojana and deposited Rs 35,000 crores, Modi appealed to the beneficiaries to keep their accounts operating to avail the benefits of insurance scheme linked to it. Lauding achievements of PM Mudra Yojana, he said 60% of its beneficiaries are from dalit, tribal and backward class population while 22% are women. These over 3.31 crore beneficiaries are honestly repaying the installments of loans, which has been given in a volume of over Rs 1.25 lakhs crores, on scheduled time, he said adding, banks are now realizing why he appealed to the officials to keep faith in these people.

Modi said that e-rickshaws and e-boats would bring a revolutionary change in economic growth of the city, and environment would also improve here. Before ending, he again took a promise from local denizens to keep the city clean and beautiful.