PM Sets "100%" Goal, Calls For "Sabka Prayas" On 75th Independence Day

"Now we have to move towards saturation. 100% villages have roads, 100% households have bank accounts, 100% beneficiaries have Ayushman Bharat cards, 100% eligible persons have Ujjwala gas connections," PM Modi said

The Prime Minister said the government will launch Gati Shakti --  a Rs 100 lakh crore infrastructure plan -- soon to boost manufacturing and employment. "All manufacturers should target global market. India should become the hub of global market," he said.

Sainik Schools will be opened to girls and 75 Vande Bharat trains will be connecting every corner of the country in 75 weeks of the Amrit Festival of Independence, PM Modi said. In future, August 14 will be observed as "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day", PM Modi said.

He also announced plans to introduce fortified rice forthe poor under different government schemes and a National Hydrogen Mission in view of climate change. "We have to make India a hub for production and export of Green Hydrogen," he said.

The Prime Minister paid tribute to all the past leaders who fought the long and hard battle for Independence, saying, "Be it Nehru-ji, the first Prime Minister of India, Sardar Patel, who turned the country into a united nation or Babasaheb Ambedkar, who showed India the way to the future, the country is indebted to all of them".

He also greeted the Olympians present on the occasion, saying "I urge the nation to applaud their achievement today. They have not only won our hearts but also inspired future generations". Thirty-two athletes – including those who won medals at the Olympics - were invited to participate in the celebrations at the iconic Red Fort.

Mentioning the ongoing battle against Covid and the loss of lives since last year, PM Modi said, "54 crore people have got vaccine doses... Despite all the efforts, we have not been able to save many people. Many children lost their parents".

"In Jammu and Kashmir, the developments are seen on the ground… Be it the entire Himalayan region including our Eastern India, North East, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, our Coastal Belt or tribal areas, these will become the major basis for India's development in future," he added.

Early this morning, PM Modi greeted the people, tweeting, "Wishing you all a very Happy 75th Independence Day. May this year of ''Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'' infuse new energy among the people of the country. Jai Hind!".

For the second year in a row, the Independence Day celebrations remained muted as the country braces for a possible third wave of the Covid pandemic. The national capital was also under a tight security blanket that included anti-drone defence systems in sensitive areas.