SME Times News Bureau | 08 Oct, 2020
Union Minister of
Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan has appealed to
every citizen of the country to contribute in the making of a prosperous and
self-reliant India.
Addressing a web conference on ‘Building Atmanirbhar
Bharat’ by PHDCCI on Wednesday, he shared his views on Prime Minister’s
vision of #AatmanirbharBharat and its role in transforming India into a global
manufacturing hub that not only caters to own requirements, but also of the
world.
Pradhan said that today, India is becoming a role
model for emerging economies. “Our focus is on serving the last man in the
society and truly achieve the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
India is rich in natural resources, has
demographic dividend, widespread availability of ports that offer a conducive
ecosystem to businesses and industries. We are working to build an India of
21st century that is able to fulfill its own requirements and also of the
world”, he added.
The Minister said that from Swadesi movement
&Dandi march by Mahatma Gandhi to the clarion call of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,
the philosophy of 'aatmanirbharta' has been the constant driving force
behind building a more resilient and self-reliant India.
He said that Corona crisis has not dampened the
spirit of the countrymen, and the country’s economy is on the path of revival.
The GST collections last month were 4% more than
the corresponding period last year, the Railway freight has shot up 15%, and
exports are up 5%. Sale of petrol and diesel has also reached the normal
levels.
The Minister said that the Government is working
to make India a manufacturing hub, and also move towards the knowledge based
economy.
He reiterated that the Government has no business
to be in the business, and it should focus only on people’s welfare. In this
direction, he said, the Government has taken initiatives for ease of doing
business, adopting transparent procedures, eliminating corruption, and
respecting the wealth creators.
Talking about the initiatives in the Petroleum
and Natural Gas sector, he said that the LPG connections have reached 95% of
the population, including over 8 crore poor families. BS-VI standard fuels have
been introduced this April. Energy justice is being ensured.
The Minister said that
Steel sector has also been contributing in the export push of the country.