PM Modi calls for startup push in rural areas, expansion of women-led SHGs

New Delhi, February 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said financial inclusion had ensured greater participation of women in economic decisions and they were major pillars of the rural economy. He said was a need to increase efforts to ensure more and more startups in rural parts of India.

He stressed that the participation of rural women through self-help groups (SHGs) needed to be expanded further. "Women's power is a major pillar of the rural economy. Financial inclusion has ensured greater participation of women in economic decisions in households. This participation of women through SHGs needs to be expanded further," said PM Modi while addressing a webinar on the Union Budget 2022 with the theme of "Leaving No Citizen Behind".

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PM Modi also emphasised for more startups to come up in rural India. "The target of 'Leaving no citizen behind' can only be achievable with such," he added. "Today, in most of the states of India, there is a need to emphasise the outcome more than the output. Today, a lot of money goes to the villages. If that money is used at the right time, then the situation of the villages can change," he said. The Prime Minister said 'Aspirational District Programme' was producing brilliant results and called for a quarterly competition among villages. "Our government started the 'Aspirational District Programme' and it is producing brilliant results. Several districts are competing among each other, some even challenging the national averages on several parameters. Can a similar quarterly competition take place at the village level?," the Prime Minister said. 'The Aspirational Districts Programme' was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2018 as part of the government's effort to raise the living standards of citizens and inclusive growth for all. The Prime Minister recalled that the government has set a target of giving about four crore connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. "We have set a target of providing about four crore connections under Jal Jeevan Mission. To achieve this goal, you will have to increase your hard work. I also urge every state government that we need to pay a lot of attention to the quality of the water along with the pipelines," said PM Modi. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine crisis: Vladimir Putin orders Russian armed forces to Ukraine breakaway regions The theme of the programme 'Leaving No Citizen Behind' listed its aims to bring industry leaders, policymakers and government officials together to deliberate upon the positive impact of the Budget and identify actionable strategies to collectively work towards furthering the common goal of upliftment of everyone, a saturation of each household and village, leaving no one behind. -PTC News