In his address at the fourth meeting of SAARC Ministers on Poverty Alleviation here, Minister of State of Rural Development Sudarshan Bhagat said India will <g data-gr-id="19">was</g> ready to extend all possible assistance to any regional endeavours to remove the “scourge”.
“It is our firm belief that the member countries will not only overcome the endemic poverty in the region but will in the coming years develop the capacity to address all problems relating to poverty.
“India will continue to support all regional endeavours for removing this scourge from our midst as soon as possible,” he said, articulating India’s position on dealing with the challenge. Noting that concerted efforts were required to combat poverty, Bhagat said it has been India’s belief that the region should develop and progress collectively and elaborated on various programmes and policies of the Indian government to deal with the problem.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was strongly committed to end poverty and that he believed
the first claim on development belongs to the poor. “After 67 years of our Independence, India has metamorphosed from an under-developed economy into an emergent global nation with one of the world’s largest economies. On Wednesday, our aspirations have soared and now we seek elimination, rather than alleviation of poverty,” said Bhagat.
He said the NITI <g data-gr-id="20">Aayog</g> has been entrusted with the task of fulfilling the aspirations of the people by providing a critical directional and strategic input into the development process.