PM lauds Kannada, says oppn used languages for vote bank politics
Insight Online News
Chikkaballapur, Mar 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused opposition parties of playing games over languages for their vote bank politics.
“Earlier it was very difficult for the youth of the village, poor, backward society to become a doctor. For their political interest, some parties played the game of languages for their vote bank politics. But in the true sense, as much as it should have been done to strengthen the language, it did not happen,” he said inaugurating Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research here.
Modi also said though Kannada is a rich language, earlier governments did not take steps to impart medical, engineering and technological education in it. This denied the poor, dalits and backward families, to become professionals, he added.
“Kannada is such a rich language which makes the country proud, and medical, engineering and technology studies should also be done in Kannada. Earlier governments did not take steps (in this regard). These political parties did not want the sons and daughters of villages, dalits and backward families to become doctors,” he said.
However, Modi said his government at the centre has given the option of medical education in all Indian languages including Kannada.
“Our government, which works in the interest of the poor, has given the option of medical education in all Indian languages including Kannada. For a long time, such politics has been going on in the country where the poor were considered only as vote banks,” he said.
He gave the example of Jan Aushadhi Kendras or low-price medicine and informed that there are about 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country today, out of which more than 1000 are located in Karnataka.
He added that such an initiative has allowed the poor to save thousands of crores of rupees on medicines.
The Prime Minister also threw light on the past when the poor could not afford the hospitals for treatment. He emphasized that the present government took notice of this concern of the poor and resolved it with the Ayushman Bharat Yojana which has opened the doors of hospitals for poor families.
Underlining that lakhs of people in Karnataka have also benefited from this scheme, the Prime Minister said, “The Government has guaranteed free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to the poor.”
Modi also gave examples of expensive surgery procedures such as heart surgery, knee replacement, and dialysis etc and pointed out that the government has taken all necessary steps to reduce the expensive fees.
“We are giving top priority to mothers and sisters in health-related policies,” the Prime Minister remarked.
Underlining that the health of the whole generation improves when the health and nutrition of our mothers improve, he said that the government is giving special emphasis towards this and gave the example of schemes to build toilets, provide free gas connections, provide tap water to every household, provide free sanitary pads and send money directly to the bank for nutritious food.
He underlined the special attention given by the government towards breast cancer and informed that health and wellness centers are being opened in the villages and efforts are being made to screen such diseases in the early stages itself.
The Prime Minister congratulated Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his team for setting up more than 9,000 health and wellness centers in the state.
He praised the Karnataka government for strengthening and empowering ANM and ASHA workers. He informed that 50 thousand ANM and ASHA workers and about 1 lakh registered nurses and health workers of Karnataka received modern gadgets and the double-engine government is trying to provide them with all possible facilities.
Modi said that, along with health, the double-engine government is paying full attention to the economic empowerment of women.
Calling Karnataka a land of Milk and Silk, the Prime Minister informed about the Kisan Credit Card for cattle rearing farmers, a massive vaccination drive for cattle with an expense of 12 thousand crores.
It is also the effort of the Double-Engine government to increase the participation of women in dairy co-operatives. Self-help groups of women in the villages are also being empowered, the Prime Minister said.
“When the country is healthy and ‘Sabka Prayas’ is devoted to development, then we will achieve the goal of a developed India faster,” he said.
Modi highlighted the role of social and religious institutions in the journey of achieving Viksit Bharat and the great tradition of saints, ashrams and mutts.
These social and religious bodies, along with faith and spiritual aspects, have been empowering the poor, dalits, backwards and adivasis. “Work done by your institute strengthens the spirit of Sabka Prayas,” PM Modi said.
In the last 9 years, Modi mentioned that the number of medical seats in the country has doubled.
He noted that the number of doctors produced by the country in the next 10 years will be the same as the number of doctors produced in India since the time of independence.
Underlining that Karnataka is also reaping the benefits of the development carried out in the country, the Prime Minister informed that the state is home to roughly 70 medical colleges in the country and the medical college inaugurated in Chikballapur is an example of the efforts of the double engine government.
He informed about the decision taken to develop more than 150 nursing institutions in the country as part of this year’s Budget and said that it will create new opportunities for the youth in the nursing sector.
In an initiative to help students avail new opportunities and provide accessible and affordable healthcare in this region, Modi inaugurated the Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR).
It was established by Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur.
Situated in a rural area and established with a vision of de-commercialising medical education and healthcare, SMSIMSR will provide medical education and quality medical care – completely free of cost – to all.
The institute will start functioning in the academic year 2023.
UNIINDIA
