Development of small cities key to make India a developed country, says PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that his guarantee begins from where hope from everyone else ends and asserted that development of smaller cities is at the centre of his resolve to make India a developed country.

Addressing the beneficiaries of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra through video conferencing, the prime minister said, "With resolve of a developed India, 'Modi's guarantee vehicle' is reaching every corner of country."

In one month, the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has reached thousands of villages and cities and most of them are small towns, he added.

Modi said his government is trying to ease troubles of everyone like a family member.

"This is our government that has helped the poor, farmers, small businessmen and various other sections of society. Modi's guarantee begins after hope from everyone else ends," he said.

The prime minister said that for a long time after independence, benefits of development were limited to a few big cities, but his government is focussing on development of smaller cities and that would strengthen the foundation for a developed India.

He also urged everyone to avail the benefits of various government schemes.

"Even though Modi has flagged off the Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the truth is that today the countrymen have taken command of that yatra. At a place where the journey halts, people from other villages or cities start leading the journey," he said.

Modi also flagged off the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram, the five states where assembly elections were held recently.

The yatra was launched for other states earlier, but the launch for the five states got delayed due to the model code of conduct in place due to the elections.

He also interacted with beneficiaries from various states who have availed various government schemes.

Interacting with one such beneficiary, he said 'atmanirbhar' women of the country are not just sustaining themselves, but also becoming a boon for others.

Modi said his government is working relentlessly for such committed and hard-working people.

Earlier during the event, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that everyone's work now gets done expeditiously as the people of the country have become 'Modiji's VIP.

Modi, who has given a call to make India a developed nation by 2047, interacted with the beneficiaries of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra via video conferencing.

Thousands of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra beneficiaries from across the country joined the event. The programme was also joined by a large number of Union Ministers, MPs, MLAs and local level representatives.

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is being undertaken across the country with the aim to attain saturation of flagship government schemes by ensuring their benefits reach all the targeted beneficiaries in a time-bound manner.