‘Won’t rest till collective goal of Viksit Bharat is realised’: Modi on completing 23 yrs as head of govt

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who completed 23 years as head of government on Monday, expressed gratitude to people for their blessings and good wishes and said he will work with even more vigour and not rest “till our collective goal of a Viksit Bharat is realised”.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi talked about his efforts at transformation of Gujarat as state’s Chief Minister and his terms as Prime Minister and said India’s developmental strides have ensured that it is being viewed with utmost optimism globally.

“A heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has sent their blessings and good wishes as I complete 23 years as the head of a government. It was on October 7, 2001, that I took on the responsibility of serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. It was the greatness of my Party, @BJP4India, to task a humble Karyakarta like me with the responsibility of heading the state administration”, he said.

“When I assumed office as CM, Gujarat was facing numerous challenges — the 2001 Kutch Earthquake, before that a Super Cyclone, a massive drought, and the legacy of many decades of Congress misrule like loot, communalism and casteism. Powered by Jana Shakti, we rebuilt Gujarat and propelled it to new heights of progress, even in a sector like agriculture, for which the state was not traditionally known”, he added.

PM Modi said that during his 13 years as Chief Minister, Gujarat emerged as a shining example of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ ensuring prosperity for all sections of society. “In 2014, the people of India blessed my party with a record mandate, thus enabling me to serve as Prime Minister. This was a historic moment, as it marked the first time in 30 years that a party secured a full majority”, he said.

The Prime Minister said India has become the fifth largest economy and new avenues have opened for various sections of society. “Over the past decade, we have been able to address several challenges our nation faces. Over 25 crore people have been freed from the clutches of poverty. India has become the fifth largest economy and this has particularly helped our MSMEs, StartUps sector and more. New avenues of prosperity have opened for our hardworking farmers, Nari Shakti, Yuva Shakti and the poor as well as marginalized sections of society”, he said.

“India’s developmental strides have ensured that our country is being viewed with utmost optimism globally. The world is keen to engage with us, invest in our people and be a part of our success. At the same time, India is working extensively to overcome global challenges be it climate change, improving healthcare, realising SDGs and more”, he said.

PM Modi said much has been achieved over the years but there is still more to be done. “The learnings over these 23 years enabled us to come up with pioneering initiatives which have made an impact both nationally and globally. I assure my fellow Indians that I will keep working tirelessly, with even more vigour in service of the people. I will not rest till our collective goal of a Viksit Bharat is realised”, he said.

Narendra Modi took over as Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time on October 7, 2001.Several welfare programmes launched by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre draw inspiration from Narendra Modi’s initiatives as Gujarat Chief Minister.Jal Jeevan Mission draws on experience of Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan launched for the water-scarce areas of North Gujarat.

Gujarat government is observing ‘Vikas Saptah’ from today to mark the development journey of the state after Narendra Modi took over as CM.Narendra Modi first took oath as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014. He is into his third successive term as Prime Minister.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has congratulated PM Modi for completing 23 years as head of government and said his long journey is an inspiration for those who are in public life. (ANI)