New Delhi, Oct. 22: The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) housing scheme has become a major instrument of socio-economic change in the country, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi said on Saturday even as he slammed the political culture of `Revdi’ or freebies.

He was speaking after conducting, virtually, the ‘grih pravesh’ ceremony of 4.51 lakh beneficiaries of the PMAY in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district by pressing a remote button.

The Grih Pravesh ceremony is conducted at the time of entering one’s new house.

“Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has become a major medium of bringing socio-economic change in the country,” he said.

“Earlier governments made promises and claims of Garibi Hatao (poverty alleviation). It was only a political gimmick,” the PM claimed.

“Every taxpayer must be thinking (today) that as I am celebrating Diwali, the poor brothers in MP too are rejoicing during the festival of light. He is getting a pukka house. His daughter’s life will improve. But when this taxpayer sees that the money (tax) collected from him is being spent on the distribution of Revdi (freebies), he is pained,” Modi said.

“Several taxpayers are writing freely to me. I am glad that a big section of society has resolved to free the country of freebies,” he added.

The prime minister had attacked the `Revdi culture’ earlier too, targeting the election-time promises of free goods or facilities made by political parties.

His government has provided pukka houses to 3.5 crore poor families in the country under the PMAY in the last eight years, Modi further said.

Earlier, even after getting a house (under a government scheme), the poor had to run around to get amenities like toilets and electricity, but now the houses built under PMAY come with all the facilities like electricity, water connection, toilet and gas connection, and they will give strength to the beneficiaries to fulfil their dreams, the prime minister said.

“The poor benefactress did not have a say in the housing scheme meant for them. Now, they have a say in the facilities they want to avail of in their house,” he said.

In Madhya Pradesh, about 30 lakh houses have been built under the PMAY in the last eight years and another 9-10 lakh houses are being constructed, he said.

“An investment of Rs 22,000 crore has been made under the scheme in MP alone. This has given a fillip to development activities in MP as artisans, traders and other sections of society are benefiting from it,” Modi said.

Houses given to the poor were like their “forts”, he said.

“Don’t allow poverty to enter your fort. See that every bit of poverty in your fort is driven out,” he added.

Listing other welfare measures of his government, he said under the PM Swamitva Yojna, people in villages are getting certificates (of property ownership) and getting loans from the banks.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was present among others in Satna during the event.

The prime minister also mentioned the farmer-friendly measures taken by his government.

The government is providing a urea bag costing Rs 2,000 in international markets due to the war situation (in Ukraine) at less than Rs 300 to farmers in the country, he noted.

“Notwithstanding how much a commander may boost the morale of the soldiers, they can’t win a war without basic facilities. This is why we, to defeat poverty, have improved the facilities for the poor,” he added.

Nepotism no longer plagues the implementation of pro-poor schemes, Modi further said.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Union government spent more than Rs 3 lakh crore to provide free ration to more than 80 crore people, he said.-Agencies