The Information and
Broadcasting Minister, Smt. Sushma Swaraj has said that the past
three years have witnessed the launch of some of the most ambitious
policies and programmes, since Independence, in many spheres,
such as removal of infrastructure bottlenecks in telecom and highways,
rural road connectivity, housing construction, food security for
the poor, agricultural exports, promotion of information technology
and India’s entertainment industry, welfare of the Scheduled Cases
and Scheduled Tribes, strengthening the bonds between India and
her Diaspora.
Inaugurating a Photo
Exhibition titled ‘Unique Initiatives – Landmark Achievements’
on the achievement of the three years of the Government put up
by DAVP at India Gate Lawns, today, Smt. Swaraj said that 2.82
crore telephone connections were provided in the last four years
as compared to 1.86 crore connections in 50 years. Three crore
fourteen lakh gas connections were released in the last four years
as compared to 3.37 cores in the last 40 years. Smt. Swaraj said
that Rs. 49833 crores have been disbursed on loans to farmers
through Kisan Credit Cards. In the last two years 2.42 crore farmers
have been issued these Cards. In the last one-year alone 2500
kms of highways have been four laned as against only 556 kms of
four laning in previous 50 years. In all 14846 kms of highways
are being four/six laned, Smt. Swaraj said.
In the entertainment
sector, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said that 77
TV channels have been permitted to uplink from India and 16 teleports
have been given approval to make India an uplinking hub in the
region.
The Minister
of State in Prime Minister’s Office and Statistics and Programme
Implementation, Shri Vijay Goel complimented the DAVP for organizing
the Exhibition, which depicts through photographs the unique and
far-reaching development achievements of the last three years.
He also praised Smt. Sushma Swaraj for getting the Conduct Access
System Bill passed which will provide protection to TV viewers.
Smt. Swaraj said
that the Exhibition would be taken to all corners of the country
with captions in all-regional languages so that the people are
able to view the development activities in the country.
