New Delhi– Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday said that India has witnessed a dramatic decline in extreme poverty under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the rate falling from 21 per cent to just 5 per cent.
Speaking at the inauguration of a newly built silo warehouse in Bihar’s Khagaria district, the minister cited international and domestic agencies to support his claim. “This is not just a government assertion, but a conclusion backed by the World Bank, IMF, and NITI Aayog,” Joshi said in a video posted on social media platform X.
According to him, more than 26 crore people have risen out of poverty in recent years, thanks to the central government’s targeted welfare initiatives.
The minister also drew a contrast between past political promises and the current government’s performance. “From Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, slogans to eradicate poverty have echoed through the decades—but they remained just that: slogans,” he remarked.
Joshi lauded the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), under which over 80 crore people currently receive free food grains. “That’s more than the entire population of the European Union,” he pointed out.
He also highlighted new energy initiatives such as the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which allows households to generate solar electricity and sell the surplus back to the government, with subsidies reaching up to Rs 78,000. The PM-KUSUM scheme was another key program mentioned, designed to help farmers irrigate their fields using solar-powered pumps.
Speaking on the infrastructure front, Joshi said the newly inaugurated modern storage facility would reduce post-harvest losses, enhance grain storage capacity, and strengthen the agricultural supply chain. He emphasized that the project aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision to modernize Indian agriculture and double farmers’ income.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completely eliminating poverty and improving the lives of rural and urban poor through sustained reforms and targeted welfare delivery. (Source: IANS)
