New Delhi, January 29 (IANS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the budget session of Parliament is an important step towards achieving the vision of a developed India 2047 and the Center is focusing on the ‘reform express’ and moving towards long-term solutions to pending issues.
PM Modi also said that starting the session with progress on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement reflects the spirit of an “ambitious, confident and self-reliant India”.
Addressing media persons at the beginning of the budget session, Prime Minister Modi referred to the President’s address in Parliament and said that the President’s address reflects the confidence and aspirations of 140 crore Indians. While sharing his feelings as the head of the nation, he also expressed his expectations from the MPs in very simple words. I am confident that all MPs will take these seriously.
Pointing out that one-fourth of the 21st century has already passed, PM Modi said the country has now embarked on an important 25-year journey to realize the vision of Developed India 2047. He said that this period will define the future direction of India and its role in the global order.
Talking about Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Prime Minister said that she is the first Finance Minister of the country who has presented the budget in Parliament for the ninth consecutive time. This in itself is being recorded as a glorious moment in the parliamentary history of India.
The Prime Minister said that in this quarter of the 21st century, India has emerged as a ray of hope and a center of attraction for the world. He said the global attention towards India reflects the growing confidence in the country’s economic and democratic strength.
He further said that earlier this quarter, the India-EU Free Trade Agreement gives a glimpse of how bright the future is for India and its youth. This is free trade for an ambitious India, a confident youth and a self-reliant India.
PM Modi further said that he is confident that Indian manufacturers will take advantage of the opportunity provided by this agreement to expand and strengthen their presence globally. He stressed the need to focus on quality with further opening up of markets.
Talking about the functioning of the government, the Prime Minister said that while the country’s focus is naturally on the Budget, the basic mantra of the government remains “reform, perform and transform”. He said that we have quickly boarded the ‘Reform Express’. I thank all MPs for their constructive contribution in accelerating this ‘Reform Express’. As a result, the Reform Express is now gaining momentum.
PM Modi said that the government is moving towards implementing long-term solutions by moving away from long-pending issues and such solutions bring predictability and strengthen international trust. He said that every decision taken by the government is for progress and development and is also human-centric.
He further said that we will adopt technology, understand it and harness its potential, but we will not compromise on the human-centric approach. Recognizing the importance of constitutional values, we will move forward with thoughtful integration of technology.
He said criticism and differing views were natural in a democracy, but added that it was widely acknowledged that the government had given priority to last mile delivery. He said that it is not just a matter of files moving forward, but also reaching people’s lives. This tradition will continue as we lead the next generation of reforms through Reform Express.
Emphasizing India’s global relevance, PM Modi said that today India’s democracy and population give great hope to the world. He said that in this temple of democracy, we have an opportunity to show the global community about our capabilities, our commitment to democratic values and the credibility of decisions taken through democratic processes. The world recognizes and welcomes it.
–IANS
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