PM Modi launches 'Stand Up India' to promote financial inclusion, says 'it aims to empower every Indian'

Noida: To boost entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women by facilitating loans in the range of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the Stand Up India initiative and said it will transform the lives of Dalits and Adivasis.

At a function, which was organised to mark birth anniversary of Dalit leader and former deputy PM Babu Jagjivan Ram, PM Modi flagged off 5,100 e-rickshaws.

Explaining the contours of Stand-up India programme, Modi said this will help in creating 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs throughout the country as every bank branch will be required to provide two such loans ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore without collateral for setting up a new enterprise.

Stressing that it is not possible for the government to provide jobs to everyone, the Prime Minister said the scheme will convert "job-seekers into job-creators... This scheme is going to transform the lives of people from dalit and tribal communities."

Stand up India, he said, aims to empower every Indian and enable them to stand on their own feet.

Referring to Dalits, he said "they should not depend on someone's mercy".

"Dalit youths should aspire to become entrepreneurs and businessmen. They can easily avail loans from the Mudra Bank now," PM Modi said, as per IANS.

PM Modi also took a dig at the Congress by pointing out that no previous government had organised any function on the birth anniversary of Jagjivan Ram, who as agriculture minister did a lot to usher the green revolution and was defence minister at the time of 1971 war.

"It is unfortunate that contribution of such people is being ignored," he said, as per PTI.

Paying tributes to Jagjivan Ram, PM Modi said the government was launching the Stand Up India campaign on his birth anniversary.

"Babu Jagjivan Ram was the defence minister of our country at the time of the 1971 war. He was the agriculture minister at the time of the Green Revolution but his contributions were forgotten over a period of time," he said.

"He (Jagjivan Ram) has always been an inspirational and respected leader for us," the PM said, adding that the Stand Up India campaign announced by him in his Independence Day address will strengthen the Dalit households.

Urging the gathering to educate their children, PM Modi said India's development journey will be stronger when it is scripted by the poor.

PM Modi interacted with the families of some of the beneficiaries, over a cup of tea. The beneficiaries explained how e-rickshaws would change their lives for the better.

Commuters can also call the e-rickshaws through the Ola app. PM Modi booked an e-rickshaw through the app and took a brief e-rickshaw ride towards the stage, making the payment for the ride through a cellphone.

Later the PM also tweeted about it:

On board the e-rickshaw…these e-rickshaws will transform the lives of several people. #TransformingIndia pic.twitter.com/5FdkqEoasc — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2016

'Chai Pe Charcha' with beneficiaries of e-rickshaws & their families. Glad to see them so happy. pic.twitter.com/M7gVjRgxCy — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2016

Our faith is in the people of India. Their skills will take India to newer heights of progress. pic.twitter.com/ipjSyZ5Fdb — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2016

On the other hand, speaking at the function, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said his ministry, which is usually associated with big business houses, in the last two years has tried to work for the betterment of the poor people.

He recalled various schemes of the government like Jan Dhan Yojana, insurance and pension and MUDRA Yojana to promote financial inclusion with the view to empower the poor. 

The scheme was announced by Modi in his Independence Day address.

(With Agency inputs)