Prime Minister's speech at the reception hosted by the Prime Minister of Australia

Just a few days ago, I inaugurated the Kartavya Bhavan and, today, I have the opportunity to inaugurate this residential complex for my colleagues in Parliament: PM

Today, if the country fulfills the need for new homes for its MPs, it also facilitates the housewarming of 4 crore poor people through the PM-Awas Yojana : PM

The nation today not only builds Kartavya Path and Kartavya Bhavan but also fulfills its duty to provide water through pipelines to millions of citizens: PM

From solar-enabled infrastructure to the country’s new records in solar energy, the nation is continuously advancing the vision of sustainable development: PM

Shri Om Birla ji, Manohar Lal ji, Kiren Rijiju ji, Mahesh Sharma ji, all the esteemed Members of Parliament, Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, ladies and gentlemen!

Just a few days ago, I inaugurated the Common Central Secretariat, that is, the Kartavya Bhavan, at Kartavya Path. And today, I have the opportunity to inaugurate this residential complex for my colleagues in Parliament. The four towers here also have very beautiful names — Krishna, Godavari, Kosi, and Hooghly — four great rivers of Bharat that give life to millions of people. Now, inspired by them, a new stream of joy will also flow into the lives of our representatives. Some people may also have their own concerns — for example, if the name is Kosi River, they may not see the river itself but instead view the Bihar elections. To such narrow-minded people, I would still say that the tradition of naming after rivers ties us together in the thread of the nation’s unity. This will increase the ease of living for our MPs in Delhi, and the number of government houses available to MPs here will also go up. I congratulate all MPs. I also appreciate all the engineers and workers involved in the construction of these flats, who have completed this work with hard work and dedication.

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Friends,

I had the chance today to see a sample flat in which our MP colleagues will soon be moving in. I have also had the opportunity in the past to see the old MP residences. The old residences had fallen into disrepair, and MPs often had to face frequent problems. Once they move into these new residences, they will be freed from those issues. When our MPs are free from such personal difficulties, they will be able to devote their time and energy more effectively to solving the problems of the people.

Friends,

You all know how difficult it used to be for newly elected MPs in Delhi to get a house allotted. These new buildings will remove that problem as well. In these multi-storey buildings, more than 180 MPs will be able to live together. Along with this, these new residences also have a significant economic aspect. At the inauguration of Kartavya Bhavan recently, I mentioned that many ministries were operating out of rented buildings, and the rent for those alone amounted to about 1,500 crore rupees per year. This was a direct waste of the nation’s money. Similarly, due to the shortage of adequate MP residences, government expenditure also used to increase. You can imagine — despite the shortage of housing for MPs, not even a single new residence was built for Lok Sabha MPs from 2004 to 2014. That is why we took this work up as a mission after 2014. From 2014 till now, about 350 MP residences have been built, including these flats. This means that once these residences are completed, public money is now also being saved.

Friends,

21st-century Bharat is as eager to develop as it is sensitive. Today, the country builds Kartavya Path and Kartavya Bhavan, and also fulfils its duty of providing piped water to millions of citizens. Today, the country fulfils the wait for new houses for MPs, and through the PM Awas Yojana also ensures housewarming for 40 million poor families. Today, the country constructs the new Parliament building, and also builds hundreds of new medical colleges. All these efforts are benefiting every section and every segment of society.

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Friends,

I am glad that special attention has been given to sustainable development in these new MP residences. This is also part of the country’s pro-environment and pro-future-safe initiatives. From solar-enabled infrastructure to setting new records in solar energy, the country is continuously advancing the vision of sustainable development.

Friends,

Today, I also have a request for you. Here, MPs from different states and regions of the country will live together. Your presence here will be a symbol of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat (One India, Great India). Therefore, if festivals and celebrations from every state are organised here collectively from time to time, it will greatly enhance the charm of this complex. You can also invite people from your constituencies to participate in these programmes. You could even make an effort to teach each other a few words from your respective regional languages. Sustainability and cleanliness should also become the identity of this building — this should be our shared commitment. Not just the MP residences, but the entire complex should always remain neat and clean — how wonderful would that be!

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Friends,

I hope we all will work together as one team. Our efforts will become a role model for the nation. I will also request the Ministry and your Housing Committee to consider whether cleanliness competitions could be organised among all the MP residential complexes two or three times a year. Then it could be announced which block was found to be the cleanest. Perhaps, after a year, we might even decide to announce both the best-maintained and the worst-maintained blocks.

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Friends,

When I went to see these newly built flats, as soon as I entered, my first comment was — “Is this all?” They said, “No sir, this is just the beginning; please come inside.” I was astonished. I don’t think you will even be able to fill all the rooms; they are quite spacious. I hope that these will be put to good use and that these new residences will prove to be a blessing in your personal and family lives. My heartiest best wishes to you all.

Thank you.