Khunti (Jharkhand), Nov 15 (PTI) PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday promised to work on a 'mission mode' to deliver justice to deprived tribals and said he will repay the debt he owed to them while launching Rs 24,000-crore project for vulnerable tribal groups on the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda.

Apart from ‘PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan’, Modi also launched several schemes including ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’, a nationwide programme aimed at reaching out to citizens who are eligible for various central schemes but have not benefitted so far.

He also emphasised the need to strengthen four pillars — women, farmers, youth and middle class and poor — for the development of the nation.

'I have come to the land of Birsa Munda to repay the debt that I owe to the deprived,' the prime minister said while addressing a public rally at Khunti Football Ground in Jharkhand after paying homage to the tribal icon at his birthplace Ulihatu.

The PM reiterated, 'True secularism comes only when all possibilities of discrimination against any citizen of the country is eliminated,' adding that social justice is ensured only when the benefit of all the government schemes reaches everyone in the same measure.

Jharkhand was formed on Munda's birth anniversary in 2000.

The visit holds political significance too as the BJP aims to woo tribal voters in Jharkhand ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and assembly elections in other states having sizeable tribal population.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Governor CP Radhakrishnan and Union Ministers Arjun Munda and Annapurna Devi were present on the occasion.

The prime minister underlined that a major foundation of the resolve for a developed India is 'PM Janman' or 'PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan' and noted that the budget for tribal welfare has been increased by six times.

He said under 'PM Janman', the government will reach out to tribal groups and primitive tribes most of whom still dwell in the forests.

'The government has identified 75 such tribal communities and primitive tribes who reside in more than 22,000 villages in the country. Earlier, governments did the work of connecting the figures, but I want to connect the lives, not the figures. With this goal, 'PM Janman' has started today,' the prime minister said.

He said the Centre will spend Rs 24,000 crore on this mega scheme.

About ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’, he said it will continue till January 26 next year starting today.

'In this journey, the government will go to every village of the country on mission mode and will make every poor and deprived person a beneficiary of government schemes,' the prime minister added.

Modi recalled organising the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in 2018 where 1,000 government officers were sent to villages to create awareness about seven prime government schemes and expressed confidence that the yatra will become equally successful.

'I look forward to the day when every poor will have a ration card for free ration, gas connection from Ujjwala scheme, electricity supplied to homes, tapped water connection, Ayushman card and a pucca house,' he said.

He elaborated on his vision of every farmer and labourer joining the pension schemes and the youth availing the Mudra Yojna to realise their dreams.

'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is Modi’s guarantee to the poor, deprived, women, youth and farmers of India,' he said.

The prime minister conveyed his affinity for the deprived people and said they have become the priority for the government.

The PM emphasized the need to focus on the four ‘Amrit Stambhs of Viksit Bharat’ or pillars of a developed India - women power or 'nari shakti', food producers of India, youth of the country and India’s middle-class and the poor.

He said during his regime, 13 crore people were taken out of poverty.

'Our 'seva kaal' began when our government came to power in 2014,' he said pointing out that a large population of the country was deprived of basic amenities.

He said the poor had lost all hope due to the careless approach of previous governments.

'The present government began work with a spirit of service,' he said adding that before 2014, the scope of cleanliness in villages was merely 40 per cent whereas today, the nation is aiming for saturation.

Modi said LPG connections in villages rose from 50-55 per cent to 100 per cent, administration of live-saving vaccines reached 100 per cent children from 55 per cent, tap water connections reached 70 per cent of households from 17 per cent.

He said the government resisted the temptation of reaching for low-hanging fruits and attended to long-pending issues while citing the example of electrification of 18,000 villages.

Key parameters of education, health and ease of living were raised in 110 districts which were branded as backward, he added.

Referring to the inspiring struggle of Bhagwan Birsa Munda for tribal pride, the prime minister mentioned the association of the land of Jharkhand with innumerable tribal heroes.

He mentioned that many heroes such as Tilka Manjhi, Sidhu Kanhu, Chand Bhairav, Phulo Jhano, Nilambar, Pitambar, Jatra Tana Bhagat and Albert Ekka have made this land proud.

He said Adivasi warriors took part in the freedom struggle in every nook and cranny of the country and mentioned the contribution of Govind Guru of Mangarh Dham, Tantya Bhil of Madhya Pradesh, Bhima Nayak, Martyr Veer Narayan Singh of Chhattisgarh, Veer Gundadhur, Rani Gaidinliu of Manipur, Veer Ramji Gond of Telangana, Alluri Sitaram Raju of Andhra Pradesh, Rani Durgavati of Gond Pradesh.

Lamenting the neglect of such personalities, the prime minister expressed satisfaction on remembering the heroes during the Amrit Mahotsava.

Prime Minister expressed gratitude towards President Droupadi Murmu for her steadfast commitment to the development of tribal communities.

Modi also released Rs 18,000 crore as the 15th installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and said government is spending Rs 15,000 crore on free vaccination of livestock. He added Rs 13,000 crore was spent on the Vishwakarma Scheme.

He expressed delight that Jharkhand now has 100 per cent electrified rail routes and laid foundation stones for projects worth around Rs 7,200 crore in the state.

Modi said in the last nine years, more than 300 universities and 5,500 new colleges have been established across the country.

He also touched upon the Digital India campaign and the country becoming the third-largest ecosystem in the world with more than one lakh startups. Modi also mentioned the inauguration of new hostels on IIM campus in Ranchi and IIT-ISM, Dhanbad. PTI NAM SAN NAM MNB