Budget has focussed on providing last mile facilities to tribals, rural areas: PM Modi

Addressing a post-budget webinar on 'Reaching the last mile', Modi said: "For the first time, the country is tapping the huge potential of the tribal society of our country at this scale.

New Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the Union Budget for 2023-24 has paid special attention on providing last mile facilities to tribal and rural areas.

Addressing a post-budget webinar on ‘Reaching the last mile’, Modi said: “For the first time, the country is tapping the huge potential of the tribal society of our country at this scale.

“The more emphasis we put on good governance, the more easily our goal of reaching the last mile will be accomplished… Approach of reaching the last mile and policy of saturation complement each other.

“When our aim is to reach everyone, then there will be no scope for discrimination and corruption.”

He further noted that the “whole-of-the-Nation approach is needed to rapidly provide facilities under special mission for the most deprived among the tribal community”.

The aspirational district programme has emerged as a successful model in terms of Reaching the last mile, he added further.

Emphasising on the importance of good governance and constant monitoring for the desired goals, the Prime Minister said: “The more emphasis we put on good governance, the more easily our goal of reaching the last mile will be accomplished.”

He gave the example of new approaches in the immunisation and vaccine coverage under Mission Indradhanush and during the Covid pandemic to illustrate the power of good governance while ensuring last mile delivery.

He said as opposed to the earlier scenario when the poor were running after the government for basic facilities, now the government is reaching the doorstep of the poor.

“The day we decide that every basic facility will be provided to every citizen in every area, then we will see what a big change will come in the work culture at the local level. This is the spirit behind the policy of saturation. When our aim is to reach everyone, then there will be no scope for discrimination and corruption. And only then, we will also be able to complete the goal of reaching the last mile,” Modi noted.