Good governance dispelled notion that govt can’t be run without scams, says PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said examples of good governance set under his rule have dispelled the notion that a government cannot be run without scams.

Releasing the first series of 11 volumes of collected works of eminent scholar and freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya at a function here, Modi said the constant endeavour of his government has been to provide basic amenities to the common people at their doorstep so that they don’t have to run from pillar to post.

“Among the key aspects of good governance are honesty and transparency. In this country, it was widely accepted that a government cannot be run without scams. Pre-2014, there were discussions about scams running into lakhs of crores.

“But, during our rule, several initiatives of good governance have dispelled those notions full of suspicion and doubt,” Modi said.

The prime minister said for any government to become powerful, its institutions play an important role. Malviya, during his lifetime, set up many such institutions that developed national character.

“Banaras Hindu University is known to all.

He also set up several other institutions such as the Rishikul Brahmacharya Ashram at Rishikesh, the Bhartiya Bhawan Pustakalaya at Prayagraj and the Sanatan Dharma Mahavidyalaya in Lahore. Malyvia ji dedicated several institutions to the nation,” Modi said.

The prime minister said walking in the footsteps of Malviya, his government has also created institutions to impart momentum to development by carving out a separate cooperation ministry.

“In Jamnagar, the foundation stone of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine has been laid and the Indian Institute of Millets Research has been set up.

“India has also set up the Global Bio-fuel Alliance, International Solar Alliance, and initiated the India-Middle East Economic Corridor ... India has been the creator of institutes of national and international importance,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi said despite being a scholar of the English language, Malviya was always a votary of Indian languages and their use for official purposes.

Modi said his government was implementing the National Education Policy that gives primacy to Indian languages and higher education courses were now being taught in the mother tongue.

“It is unfortunate that the nation had to wait for 75 years for this to happen,” the prime minister said.

He said the country is indebted to the great personalities who made invaluable contributions to the nation and he was privileged to release a book of Malaviya’s works. The function, also attended by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal among other dignitaries, was held on the occasion of the 162nd birth anniversary of Malaviya.