- By Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, former Union Cabinet Minister & senior BJP leader

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been very specific from day one of the NDA Government that growth and development is its foremost priority. The last about nine years of the Modi Government have been “decisive and directional” years with focus on laying foundation of making India a strong and vibrant economy. Under the determined, diligent and dynamic leadership of Shri Modi, India has witnessed unprecedented boost to infrastructure, business, manufacturing, health and well-being of every section. He has made development a “people-led movement”.

Since coming to the power in 2014, Shri Modi has been working tirelessly with commitment to “Rashtraniti” of “inclusive empowerment” with mantra of “development without discrimination”. His extraordinary and far-sighted leadership has made him a “credible brand” of “good-governance & inclusive progress” across the world. Despite of global economic crisis, Corona challenges, Russia-Ukraine war; India has been one of the few nations of the world which has performed well on economic front. The year 2022 was wonderful, India completed 75 years of Independence while “Amrit Kaal” began; the country progressed rapidly and became the world's 5 th largest economy; achieved the historic Goods Export Target of 400 Billion US dollars, creating ample employment opportunities, and received a record Foreign Direct Investment of 84 Billion US Dollar.

The recently released Economic Survey 2022-23 clearly stated that amid global recession, Indian economy is poised to grow faster while achieving GDP growth rate of 6.0 per cent to 6.8 per cent in 2023-24.

The Budget 2023 will further accelerate India’s growth journey. This “Progressive, Phenomenal, People Friendly Budget" is a “Gazette of Glorious Journey" of "Strong & Self- Reliant India". This Budget will establish a strong base of a developed India, it has given priority to the deprived and it fulfils the dreams of the aspirational society, poor, villages and the middle class.

Various reputed international financial agencies including World Bank and IMF have predicted that India will be the fastest-growing major economy in coming years. They predict that no one can stop Indian economy from becoming a 5 trillion US Dollar economy as well as the world’s 3 rd largest economy by 2027.

India, which invented “Numerical Zero” has now become a “Global Hero”. While on one hand, the Modi Government's valiant and visionary decisions like demonetisation have saved Indian economy from the crisis, on the other hand it broke “back bone” of terror funding. Goods and Service Tax (GST) has been proved significantly successful towards much- needed tax reforms in the country.

Constructive, conducive, calculated reforms in taxation, banking, health, space sector, defence, insurance, mining, labour, real estate, administration, government recruitment, MSME, education, bureaucracy, railways, telecom, highways, ports, repealing more than 1500 obsolete laws have proved to be a milestone in ensuring economic, social and strategic security of the country.

Today, India is a leading country in terms of digital payments. "Digital India" campaign has ensured economic transparency. Every single rupee of the Government’s welfare schemes is reaching directly to bank accounts of the needy without any hindrance; it has curbed the “culture of cut, commission, corruption”. The monetary benefits of more than 300 welfare schemes are directly reaching to bank accounts of the beneficiaries. So far, more than Rs 27 lakh crore has reached to the beneficiaries with complete transparency.

A World Bank report has acknowledged that it was only due to such schemes and mechanisms that India was able to prevent crores of people from falling below the poverty line during the Covid pandemic.

India is a “case study” for rest of the world that how Shri Modi’s leadership saved such a populous country from challenges of the Covid pandemic, global economic crisis and menace of terrorism. The NDA Government has successfully implemented the world’s largest vaccination drive by administering over 220 crore Corona vaccine doses across the country. “Made in India” Corona vaccines emerged as a major shield in saving lives and livelihoods.

While several nations of the world including India’s neighbours are suffering from shortage of essential commodities and skyrocketing prices of food; India has been providing free food grains to about 80 crore people under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), the world's largest food security programme. Today this sensitive and pro-poor approach of the Modi Government is being appreciated all over the world.

The BJP-led Government has exceptionally performed on all fronts. Shri Modi took historic and bold decisions such as surgical strike and air strike against terrorists operating in Pakistan; abolition of social evil of Triple Talaq; introducing electoral bonds; abrogation of Article 370; appointment of Chief of Defence Staff; “Make in India” campaign; grand Ram Temple is being constructed in Ayodhya.

The country needs another term for Shri Modi as the Prime Minister for decisive, capable leadership and stable, effective government at the Centre. Some political parties are trying to form a “so-called alternative” for 2024 elections. However, there is “confusion in leadership, contradiction in policies” in these political parties. Differences between their leaders are more than the number of holes in the “bundle of the alliance”. The Opposition has already prepared a “waiting list of two dozen Prime Ministerial candidates”. The Modi Government is a Government of “Iqbal (authority), Insaf (justice) and Iman (integrity)” which has replaced “politics of privileged” with “prominence to people”. Shri Modi began with mantra of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”. With the passage of time, “Sabka Vishwas” and “Sabka Prayas” were also added to it.

Free medical treatment has been provided to about 50 crore people under Ayushman Bharat Yojana; 11.4 crore farmers have been given PM Kisan Samman Nidhi worth Rs 2.2 lakh crore; 11 crore families have been covered with piped clean drinking water supply under Jal Jeevan Mission; more than 7 lakh KM roads have been constructed in rural areas under PM Gram Sadak Yojana; about 3 crore poor have been provided houses under PM Awas Yojana; more than 9.6 crore women have been given free LPG connection under Ujjwala Yojana; electricity has reached to each and every village; about 47.8 crore people have been included into the main stream economy through Jan Dhan Yojana; about 38 crore people have been given easy loans under Mudra Yojana for various employment and self-employment opportunities; more than 11.7 crore household toilets have been constructed under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. All these schemes and measures have made “common people” the “precious partner of progress & prosperity” by demolishing the barrier of caste, community, region and religion.

And last but not the least, India achieved another feat as the country has received prestigious G-20 presidency. During G-20 presidency, India will be able to present its experiences and learnings as possible templates for others, particularly the developing world.