The Centre expects the cooperation of State governments in extending the benefits of various Central government schemes to people across the country, Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has said.
Mr. Jaishankar, who is on a three-day visit to the State capital, was speaking on Monday at a beneficiary meet on Central government schemes in the Thiruvananthapuram Parliamentary constituency. In the days ahead, the government would be making efforts to expand the benefits offered under various schemes that had already been announced, he said.
The government did not believe that houses, electricity, water and cooking gas should remain the privilege of middle class or rich people. Every Indian had a right to have them in his/her home. The government was committed to ensuring this, he said.
Drawing attention to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, he said that the benefits of governments were now flowing from the cities to the rural areas of the country. In the eight years of BJP rule, government schemes had covered all sections of the society, he said.
BJP district president V.V. Rajesh presided. BJP State president K. Surendran delivered the keynote address. Senior party leader O. Rajagopal was also present.
On Monday, Mr. Jaishankar visited Chempazhanthy Gurukulam and reviewed the progress of the development initiatives that are being carried out under the Swadeshi darshan project. He also visited Kazhakuttam to review the progress of the work on the National Highway.
