Governance is not about politics or winning elections: PM

Shahanshapur, Varanasi, Sept 23: Claiming that initiatives like GST and Aadhaar have hit the black money and corruption during his regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that governance is not about politics or winning elections but about the nation's development. "I belong to a different school of thought. I do not think of vote bank. For me, my country is bigger than my party. For us, governance is not about politics or winning elections. Our priority lies in the well being of the nation. Our country is a big milk producer, however, as compared to other milk producing nations, our production is less. With this initiative, we will help our cattle to produce better and more milk, which will ultimately help in the nation’s growth and increase the farmers' income," he said. The PM said GST and Aadhaar have put a spanner on corruption and black money. "Now the corrupt have turned honest due to our efforts," he claimed. Talking about cleanness drive, he said, "Cleanliness is worship for me. It is a way to serve the poor of the country. A clean India also means a healthier India. 'Swachhata' has to become 'Swabhav' - it is our collective responsibility to keep our nation clean." Addressing farmers on Day two of his Varanasi visit at Shahanshahpur, a remote village in Chandauli Parliamentary constituency represented by UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey, the PM reiterated his promise of “homes for all by 2022” and pitched for a clean and new India. The PM’s packed schedule for the last day of his visit started with the inauguration of a sanitation drive and a 'Pashu Arogya Mela' here. He also handed loan waiver and housing scheme certificates to beneficiaries. "We aim to change the lives of the poor, middle class families. We’re taking up schemes to uplift the middle class, as they are the ones who’ll help the nation progress," he said, while taking potshots at the previous governments saying money meant for the poor never reached them. He said Swachhata is a difficult task to undertake." But if Modi does not take up the difficult tasks, then who else will," he wondered. "I had the opportunity to lay the stone for a new toilet construction at a village nearby. The people of the village have decided to make the village ODF. Cleanliness is a way to serve the poor of India. Villagers have pledged on the occasion of Navratri that they will not defecate in the open after October 2," he said while appreciating that the villagers have named the toilets as 'Ijjatgarh' as in real sense it gives respect to the people and the village. " None of us prefer living in dirt and an unclean environment. Cleanliness should be our ultimate goal. Swachhata is the responsibility of every individual and every family. The diseases that spread at a rapid rate are caused due to unhygienic environment," he said. UNI