<img title="Shoppers watch PM Narendra Modi&rsquo;s speech at a store in Borivli " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Shoppers.jpg" alt="Shoppers watch PM Narendra Modi&rsquo;s speech at a store in Borivli " /> Shoppers watch PM Narendra Modi&rsquo;s speech at a store in Borivli&nbsp;
New Delhi: After keeping the entire nation on tenterhooks for the better part of New Year&rsquo;s Eve, Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s speech on Saturday turned out to be a damp squib with a few &ldquo;sops&rdquo; being announced for senior citizens, pregnant women and farmers.
The announcements were preceded by a long speech where PM Modi thanked the country for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the government in the fight against blackmoney. &ldquo;Our lives had been entangled in black money and corruption...What happened after Diwali shows Indians were looking for a way to beat it,&rdquo; Modi said, adding, &ldquo;The patience and resolve that crores of Indians have shown, had Lal Bahadur Shastri, JP Narayan, Lohia were here, they would bless Indians.&rdquo;
This was followed by a slew of measures for the urban and rural poor. As part of the housing scheme, he said that the government would give a rebate of three and four per cent on interest rates to the people who seek loans to build their houses in 2017 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. He said a concession of four per cent would be given to those taking a loan of up to Rs 9 lakh and 3 per cent on Rs 12 lakh.
He further announced a 60-day interest waiver for farmers who have taken loans from district cooperative banks and cooperative societies for the Rabi growing season. &ldquo;The cost of the 60-day interest waiver will be directly transferred to the farmers account,&rdquo; he said. He also announced a scheme to provide pregnant women financial aid of R6,000 as part of efforts to bring down the maternal mortality rate. &ldquo;The scheme will cover hospital admission, vaccination and nutritional food,&rdquo; said Modi.
Meanwhile, the Congress expressed disappointment over Modi&rsquo;s speech. &ldquo;Many questi&shy;ons were left unanswered. His decision paralysed the nation&rsquo;s economy. The country can&rsquo;t run this way,&rdquo; Congress spokesperson RS Surjewala said.

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PM Narendra Modi's speech turns into 'sop' drama

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Narendra Modi thanks citizens for supporting government in fight against corruption, announces slew of measures for pregnant women, senior citizens and farmers; Opposition demands answers

PM Narendra Modi's speech turns into 'sop' drama

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PM Narendra Modi's speech turns into 'sop' drama

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