Like every year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the Ramparts of Red Fort on the Independence Day. In his Day address to the nation, He spoke about various government schemes/initiatives which have helped in the socio-economic growth of the country since the NDA assumed power in 2014. But does the data support these claims made by the prime minister?
He spoke about various schemes and claimed its success, but do his words match the action on the ground? Here’s a comparison of his claims and its reality.
CLAIM 1: 3,00,00 CHILDREN SAVED BECAUSE OF SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN REPORTED BY WHO
Prime Minister Modi also claimed that according to World Health Organisation (WHO), 3,00,000 children have been saved due to the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The reality is that WHO did laud India’s commitment towards cleanliness and said “If the Swachh Bharat Mission is implemented 100% by October 2019 then 3 Lakh children can be saved” which is completely opposite from what PM Modi said.
CLAIM 2: 4 CRORE PEOPLE GIVEN LOANS UNDER MUDRA
PM Modi said, “13 crore loans under MUDRA is a big achievement. Out of this, 4 crores are the people who have taken a loan for the first time.”
The response to an RTI file by India Today reveals that 93% of the loans disbursed were under 50,000 rupees and these are microloans useful for small-owned businesses like a cattle dairy farmer or a vegetable seller. Such small businesses are unlikely to generate employment. So linking the disbursement of loans under the mudra scheme to employment generation is the bit of a stretch.
Although Prime Minister Modi didn’t directly address the issue of job creation through MUDRA, the government has been bolstering the claim of creating jobs through this scheme.
CLAIM 3: ELECTRIFICATION
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned in his speech that if his government continued to work at UPA’s pace then it would have taken them decades to achieve 100 per cent electrification.
However, according to Fact Check India, UPA had electrified an average of 12,000 villages every year, which is far more than the NDA’s 4,600 villages per year. Which means the UPA would have achieved 100% electrification in far less than a decade. Further, according to government’s own data, out of the 18,000 villages claimed to have been electrified by the government, only 8% of these villages have their households electrified. The claim can’t be called true because despite villages having an electricity connection, access to electricity remains a problem.
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