Nirmala Sitharaman highlights India’s significant progress during fireside chat with John J Hamre
New Delhi: In a fireside discussion with John J. Hamre, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in Washington, DC, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized India’s notable advancements in electrification, water accessibility, and economic empowerment.
Sitharaman emphasized that all Indian villages now have access to power, highlighting the advancements achieved in rural electrification. She pointed out that many Indian villages, especially those close to state capitals, lacked even the most basic electricity facilities in 2014.
“I don’t believe any Indian village is without electricity these days,” she remarked. The connections have been sent to households. According to my recollection of the situation in 2014, there were still a lot of villages in various regions of India, some of which were even very near to the provincial or state capital, without even a pole to carry the electric cables. All of it has now been conquered. Houses are equipped with electricity.
The Finance Minister also spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to connect every home to tap water.
She said, “A hamlet used to have a single tap water connection, from which people would carry water to their homes. Under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission,’ however, every single home is provided with a tap water connection.
Sitharaman highlighted how this program would benefit millions of Indian households in terms of convenience, sanitation, and health.
Speaking on the economic empowerment of cities and municipalities, Sitharaman pointed out that these local administrations are getting more funding and autonomy.
She clarified that in addition to extra funding based on the recommendations of the Finance Commission, municipalities also receive a share of taxes collected by the federal government.
Additionally, we are improving their ability to raise resources from the market today. “On their own, municipalities are raising a lot of resources and are very powerful tools for economic development,” she said.
Sitharaman also affirmed his belief in India’s economic expansion and its attractiveness to international investors.
“The policies are working, reforms are happening, and they shall continue to happen,” she said, adding that “greater liberalisation of the economy will be there and, in a way, we are accessing newer markets and speaking about the Indian economy in more avenues and platforms that will attract more investors.”
Sitharaman pointed out that India is strengthening its standing as a major actor on the global scene, broadening its economic horizons, and attracting foreign investment via further reforms and heightened global engagement.
