New Delhi: With crucial Assembly polls in five states just weeks away, and Lok Sabha 2019 polls months away, the Narendra Modi government is banking on the testimonials of beneficiaries of its various welfare schemes to counter Opposition propaganda that the BJP has been working against the common man.
The government has roped in national broadcaster Doordarshan, which has recorded and is telecasting over 5,000 such testimonies regarding the benefits of welfare schemes from grassroots level across the country.
Through these first-person testimonies the government hopes to provide a counter narrative to the Opposition that has been claiming that life hasn’t improved for the common man despite Narendra Modi government’s claims and promises.
Sources stated that this is a part of a new communication approach. “These messages will showcase how the government’s public welfare programmes are working and aim to destroy the Opposition-created myth that things aren’t happening. Doordarshan News has put up ground reports —“Transforming India” — on its website and social media that are also being telecast on its various channels ahead and during important programmes,” sources added.
More than 5,000 testimonies from across India in all regional languages have been recorded by grassroots level correspondents — including stringers — and are being broadcast. “This is work in progress and more such testimonies are expected to the put up soon,” sources added.
In all about 30 welfare schemes of the government have been covered under the Transforming India initiative.
Among the testimonials are the statistics of employment generation for the young through Mudra Yojna, interviews of women detailing the success of Ujjawala scheme for LPG connections and conversations with beneficiaries utilising subsidy intervention for housing loans and others schemes.
Other schemes like Hunar, which specifically targets minorities for skill and employment generation, Jan Dhan for economic security, rural electrification programme and young population receiving employment training through Skill India have also been covered extensively.
