Ahmedabad, Oct 24 (PTI) Upliftment of 60 crore poor people is the biggest work done by the Modi government, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday and stressed that poor rural citizens should be the biggest beneficiaries of the country's economic development.

Shah laid the foundation stones for various projects, including a mini-industrial training institute (ITI) and a 550-bed hospital, at an industrial estate at Sanand in Ahmedabad district.

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He said the upcoming ITI at Sanand GIDC would impart skills training to local people as required by factories so that they could get jobs in units located in the industrial estate.

"Poor citizens residing in rural areas should be the biggest beneficiaries of the economic development of the country and the state. For this, it is our (government's) concern to create such facilities with strength," Shah said.

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Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India became the fifth largest economy in the world from the 11th rank, and Chandrayaan landed on the moon, he said listing various achievements of the Central government.

"Modiji oversaw the construction of India's new parliament building, launched different projects, and took several initiatives. But the biggest work done under Modiji's leadership is the upliftment of 60 crore poor of the country," Shah added.

Before Modi became prime minister (in 2014), the poor people could not imagine having toilets in their houses, but today more than 10 crore houses have toilets, empowering women, he said.

Shah said the Modi government has ensured that cooking gas, electricity, and houses were provided to the poor beneficiaries, apart from Rs 5 lakh health insurance coverage and 5 kg grain per month per person to the 60 crore poor people.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire world expressed concern regarding 130 crore people of India, but Modi inspired and supported scientists to produce vaccines to fight the virus. Modi used technology to protect the country from COVID-19," the Gandhinagar MP added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)