New Delhi: Hailing BJP-ruled Goa as the 'second engine' of the Central government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for implementing key schemes successfully in the state and turning it into a 'model of development' for the rest of India. The remarks were made during the virtual meet-up at the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna Goa" programme.
Under this scheme, which was launched on October 1, 2020, an officer of the state government as "Swayampurna Mitra." This "Mitra" (friend) visits a designated panchayat or municipality to ensure that various government schemes and benefits are available to the eligible beneficiaries.
PM Modi claimed that under the present government, funds to renovate rural infrastructure had been hiked five times, more than previous governments had managed. This would be beneficial for the income of farmers and fishermen of the state he said.
Food processing units would also be a big part of the Swayampurna programme which would help India become independent of other East Asian countries when processing fish, the Prime Minister declared.