PIO cardholders to get lifetime Indian visa, US tourists to get visa on arrival: Narendra Modi

New York Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told a rapturous crowd of NRIs that Persons of Indian Origin PIO cardholders will get lifetime Indian visa and that American tourists will be given visa on arrivalModi who arrived at the packed Madison Square Garden to a rousing welcome announced the merger of PIO and Overseas Citizens of India schemes to facilitate hasslefree travel to the Indian diasporaNarendra ModiHe announced that PIO card holders staying in India on longterm basis will no longer have to report to the local police stationPrime Minister Modi affirmed that India will move ahead at a rapid pace and lead the 21st Century world At the unique event in the heart of Manhattan at which some 20000 cheering NRIs were present Modi said that his big win in the Lok Sabha elections had come with a big responsibility for him which he would fulfilListing out Indias advantages the Prime Minister said that its three strengths were democracy demographic dividend in which 65 per cent of its population was under 35 years and the demand for India because it was a huge marketMy effort is to make development a mass movement I am confident is that we will succeed There is cause for disappointment This country is going to make rapid progress There are many expectations from the new governmentThis government will be 100 per cent successful in fulfilling the aspirations of people he said amid loud cheers My dream is to see every Indian family has a home by 2022 he saidClearly with an eye on the younger generation Modi said We will not do anything which will let you down Attired in a saffron Nehru jacket and yellow kurta the prime minister held the packed indoor stadium spellbound asserting that Our attempt is to make development a peoples movementIn his 75minutelong speech in Hindi which he began with Bharat Mata Ki Jai while extending greetings for Navratri festival Modi promised good governance saying after a gap of 30 years India has got a government at the Centre with a clear majorityHe also had a jibe at poll predictions in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections No political pundit or opinion makers could fathom such a verdict he said Winning elections is not about any post or chair Its a responsibility Since taking over as Prime Minister I have not even taken a 15minute vacation he saidYou may not have voted in 2014 but I am sure that when the results were coming you didnt sleep and you all celebrated he told the NRIs Promising a fast pace of development Modi said Thereis no reason to be disappointed India will progress very fast and the skills of our youth will take India aheadThe 21st Century will be that of India By 2020 only India will be in a position to provide work force to the world he said while citing examples of growing global demand for nurses and teacherWe are a youthful nation with a very old culture he said Recalling that Mahatma Gandhi turned the freedom struggle into a mass movement Modi said at that time every Indian felt part of the crusade for the countrys independenceContrasting an imagery of a computer mouse with snakes Modi said India was considered in the foreign soil as a nation of black magic and snake charmers but now it is different Our ancestors used to play with snakes We play with mouse Our youths move the mouse and the shake up the worldhe saidToday India is the most youthful nation of this world Today 65 per cent population of the country are below the age of 35 years What more asset a nation requires whose 65 per cent population is below 35 years of ageA nation whose youths are committed to make the future of the country will not have to look behind This country is going to progress with the support of the youths he said as the crowd continuously cheered himOn his ambitious mission to rejuvenate Ganga river Modi said People ask me that why have I taken up a difficult task like cleaning of the Ganga But I tell them people of India have not chosen me for doing easy jobsReferring to Indias successful Mars Mission he said the cost of travelling in an auto in Ahmedabad is Rs 10 per km but the 65 crore km journey to Mars cost just Rs 7 per km He took at a jibe at the previous UPA dispensation saying that during the Lok Sabha polls they were taking credit for introducing various new laws where as I would be happy if we do away with one archaic law a dayMaking a pitch for involving people in development process he said my clear view is that governments along cannot bring development At the maximum the governments can launch only schemesDevelopment happens when there is public participation The erstwhile governments had taken the onus of development only on themselves We adopted the path of involving all he said