Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) that were established 50 to 60 years ago have played a key role in the development of the country due to the farsightedness of the Planning Commission, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday.
Mr. Shah said development would have derailed in the country if the Planning Commission, rechristened Niti Aayog, was not there.
“We have seen the research-based development done by Planning Commission. When BHEL was envisioned, it would have been only to make electrical components. But today when we analyse its contribution, 91% factories use components made by BHEL, imagine if BHEL was not there what could have happened,” Mr. Shah said.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the National Tribal Research Institute.
“When LIC was founded, it would have appeared that government has created just an insurance company but after 60 to 65 years when one looks back at the contribution made by LIC, we find that it provided social security to middle and lower middle class social society. Similarly, this NTRI will play a pivotal role in the development of tribals in the country. This is a milestone,” he said.
Left-wing extremism
The Minister stated that the Narendra Modi government had brought down the number of districts affected by Left-wing extremism in the country by 70 %.
The government had also removed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from more than 66% areas in the northeastern States, he said. The northeastern States and the LWE-affected areas were tribal-dominated regions and security was a precursor to development there, he added.
Mr. Shah said that 8,700 untoward incidents had taken place in the northeastern States under the Congress rule. This number had reduced to 1,700 under the Modi government, he said. Eighty-seven security personnel had lost their lives in the northeast under the Modi government as against 304 during the Congress rule, he said.
The Minister added that the Modi government had increased the budget for Eklavya residential schools to ₹1,418 crore this financial year from ₹278 crore.
“I believe that only a tribal child can bring the ‘best medal’ in the Olympics as sports is a part of tribal traditions. They only need guidance, coaching, practice and a platform to showcase their talent,” Mr. Shah said.
