PM Modi’s mega economy push

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Independence Day is the perfect opportunity to whip up patriotic fervour among citizens too engrossed in the battle to secure a better life. The ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign was a step in that direction. Looking to get the nation back on track after the ravage wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced several schemes aimed at further bolstering the Atmanirbhar Bharat theme.

The dream of building a ‘new India’ by 2022, the 75th anniversary of its independence, may have now shifted to 2047 because of the disruption brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the Prime Minister reiterated that there should not be any let-up in verve and enthusiasm towards reaching that goal. The prime minister said that every citizen needs to pitch in to achieve the goal.

National Hydrogen Mission, Gati Shakti Yojana and 75 Vande Bharat trains in 75 weeks are expected to send across the message that India does not stand for protectionism and the aim is to create world-class products. The PM also announced the decision to set up e-commerce platforms to sell the produce of self-help groups. Recalibration of the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy would help the country generate jobs and pull the economy out of the Covid-induced morass.

Last year, the PM had announced an investment of Rs 100 lakh crore for revamping the infrastructure. This year, the Gati Shakti scheme has been announced, which is expected to lay the foundation of holistic infrastructure and integrate means of transport.

But tardy implementation of these schemes is something that the country cannot afford. There may not be too many visible changes by the time Modi delivers his next Independence Day speech. However, it is important to see if the intent is met with equally adept execution. Implementation will make all the difference between a well-intentioned project on paper and an effective one on the ground.