UNION Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented a glowing report card of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 9-years in office, terming them as full of progress and development, here on Monday. Addressing the media as part of the BJP’s all-India outreach to the masses, Sitharaman said that 80 crore people were given free foodgrain during the COVID-19 pandemic while 220 crore were administered Coronavirus vaccine doses nation-wide. “We have elevated the country’s status globally in the past nine years, the poor have got food security with dignity... No other country has achieved so much in the same period in renewable energy,” she said. Discussing the achievements at the mass level, Sitharaman said 12 crore homes were given access to clean drinking water, 9.60 crore given free gas connections, and despite the global price rise, a subsidy of Rs 200 per gas cylinder was extended to the poor.

The Modi Government has built over 3.50 crore pucca homes for the poor and nearly 12 crore toilets were built for them, resulting in 100 per cent coverage of toilets achieved in mofussil areas as compared with just 39 per cent nine years ago (2014). Sitharaman was flanked by State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and other senior leaders as the party celebrates nine years of Modi’s rule and the achievements across sectors ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The Union Finance Minister criticised Congress leader P Chidambaram over his comments on the withdrawal of the Rs 2,000 currency note and said, to cast aspersions on matters of this nature “does not augur well with the former Finance Minister”. TheRBI has already explained the rationale behind the decision, she said. Chidambaram on Monday said that the introduction of Rs 2,000 note and its subsequent withdrawal have cast doubt on the integrity and stability of the Indian currency. He also said, key economic indicators are pointing downward and there is low confidence that economy will reach high growth path.