'Legacy issues, policies of previous regimes led to corrupt ecosystem'

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday blamed legacy issues and policies of previous governments that have led to the emergence of a corrupt ecosystem.

Addressing civil servants on the 16th civil services day at Vigyan Bhawan, PM Modi gave examples of results from policies of previous governments and mentioned that there were more than four crore fake gas connections, more than four crore fake ration cards, and support was provided to one crore fictitious women and children by the ministry of women and child development.

He added that even fake scholarships were offered to approximately 30 lakh youths by the ministry of minority affairs and lakhs of fake accounts were created under MGNREGA to transfer the benefits of workers who never existed.

He credited the civil servants for the transformation that has taken place in the system where roughly Rs 3 lakh crore have been saved from landing in the wrong hands, which is now being used for the welfare of the poor.

"For a developed India, the government system should support the aspirations of common people," he added.

"Earlier the thinking was that the government will do everything, but now thinking is that the government will work for everyone," the prime minister said while highlighting the change in attitude of bureaucracy.

He added that the motto of the government is 'Nation First-Citizen First' and it is prioritising the deprived.

"It is the duty of the bureaucracy to analyse whether a political party is making use of taxpayers' money for the benefit of their own organisation or for the nation," Modi said.