Centre allocated Rs 60,000 cr under Jal Jeevan Mission this year: Minister

The Modi dispensation in its eight years has made historic achievements such as the abrogation of Article 370, implementation of GST and abolition of triple talaq, minister Prahlad Singh Patel said .

The Narendra Modi dispensation in its eight years has made historic achievements such as the abrogation of Article 370, implementation of GST and the abolition of instant triple talaq, Union minister Prahlad Singh Patel said on Monday.

The Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti said the need of the hour is to start information campaigns through the media so that people become aware of various schemes launched by the government.

The government has allocated Rs 60,000 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) this year to provide tap water to 3.8 crore households.

The minister said states can spend three times more than the previous year's allocated budget under the Jal Jeevan Mission, for which states have to seek the best technical support, bring in resources utilisation, streamline the tendering process, etc.

"J&K will also be achieving the target of Har Ghar Jal in 2024 according to the calendar framed by the UT government," he said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's eight years in government are unparalleled with historic achievements in the form of the abrogation of Article 370, implementation of GST, abolition of triple talaq and recognition of yoga at international level," Patel told a press conference in Udhampur.

He said the government provided free foodgrains to over 80 crore people during the COVID-19 pandemic under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, which is the world's largest food security scheme launched to combat the pandemic-induced economic disruption.

The biggest achievement of this government was the made-in-India COVID-19 vaccine, he said.

Patel also said that the defence sector in the country, being important for border areas such as Jammu and Kashmir, has also been strengthened under PM Modi to the extent that India is now becoming an exporter of defence equipment, BrahMos defence export deals being the best example of it.

The defence ecosystem that is being built by India through its joint ventures like that with Israel is the biggest achievement in itself in defence technology, the minister added.

He further said that this government has brought a lot of transparency in the system that is evident from the fact that the beneficiaries of different central schemes are receiving instalments directly into their bank accounts.

The minister said the budget of Food Processing Industries department has increased by 137 per cent.

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme formulated for the food processing industry with an outlay of Rs 1,100 crore will help India to mark distinction in the world in food processing.

There are 24 lakh food processing units in the country, out of which two lakh units will be upgraded with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore.

The minister also laid the foundation stone of a water supply scheme of Saddal and Panjal villages to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 415.68 lakh.