Jharsuguda (Odisha), Sep 27 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asserted that the BJP-led government at the Centre ensured “double bachat (saving) and double kamai (income)” for people through its polices and the recent GST rate rationalisation, and saved the nation from the "culture of loot" prevalent during the Congress regime.

From Odisha's Jharsuguda town, Modi also laid the foundation stones and inaugurated development projects valued at over Rs 50,000 crore across telecommunications, railways, higher education, healthcare, skill development and rural housing sectors.

"The Congress left no opportunity to loot people. When we got the opportunity to serve, our administration successfully liberated the country from the exploitation of the previous government. Now, a new era of double 'bachat' (saving) and double 'kamai' (income)” has begun. Earlier, people had to pay tax even on income up to Rs 2 lakh. Today, people earning up to Rs 12 lakh annually are exempted from tax,” Modi said while addressing the 'Namo Yuva Samabesh'.

The Prime Minister said the GST reforms would ensure that people can save more.

“The reforms in the GST have created a situation where people can save a lot. Instead of paying tax of Rs 25,000 on spending of Rs 1 lakh, now their tax ratio will come down to Rs 5,000, thus saving around Rs 20,000,” Modi said, evoking applause from the gathering.

The rationalised two-rate GST structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, which came into effect on September 22, is expected to reduce the prices of a large number of products and services.

The PM also alleged that the Congress governments in the states become a "stumbling block" between the people and the Centre's development initiative.

"Till 2014, the Congress was looting the country. Our government has made income tax free up to Rs 12 lakh. Despite GST rates being reduced, the Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh government continued to loot the people.

"When we reduced the GST rates, prices came down across the country, but the Congress does not want to give this relief to the common people. The Himachal Pradesh government imposed a new tax of its own on cement. While the entire nation is benefiting from the recent GST Bachat Utsav, the people of Himachal Pradesh are being deprived of it," Modi alleged.

He cautioned the people against the alleged loot by the Congress and its allies.

Noting that Odisha is the land of farmers, and the GST ‘Bachat Utsav’ will benefit them, Modi said, “During the Congress regime, the farmers had to pay Rs 70,000 as tax to purchase a tractor. After GST rationalisation and several other reforms came into effect, a farmer can now save Rs 40,000. Prices of several agricultural equipment items have been reduced by the BJP government," he said.

The Prime Minister asserted that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre aims to uplift the poor and marginalised people.

“Our strong focus is on providing basic facilities to the poor, dalits, backward classes, and the deprived. Today I got the opportunity to hand over the acceptance letters to the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana beneficiaries,” Modi said.

The PM also distributed sanction orders to 50,000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, under which pucca houses and financial assistance are given to vulnerable rural families, including persons with disabilities, widows, individuals suffering from terminal illness, and victims of natural calamities.

Modi thanked the people of Odisha for bringing the BJP to power in the 2024 assembly elections, and said the saffron party government has undertaken a slew of development initiatives.

He claimed that after battling against poverty for decades, under the BJP rule, prosperity has been achieved.

“The next decade for Odisha would be a decade of prosperity,” Modi said, adding that the Centre recently allocated two semiconductor units for Odisha, a shipbuilding yard and an economic corridor from Paradip to Jharsuguda.

Modi said the pace of development in Odisha is now moving in "double speed" under the "double engine" government.

Emphasising the necessity of making the country ‘Atmanirvar', the Prime Minister said, "It is our resolve that from chip to ship, India must be self-reliant in everything." During the day, he commissioned more than 97,500 4G telecom towers built with BSNL’s ‘swadeshi’ technology at a cost of Rs 37,000 crore and lauded the state-owned firm for its services.

Modi laid the foundation stone for Rs 11,000 crore infrastructure expansion projects in eight IITs across the country in order to increase 12,000 seats over the next four years.

He laid the foundation stone for the construction of a rail flyover between Sambalpur City and Sarala at an investment of Rs 273 crore, and for the setting up of a semiconductor and electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) park in collaboration with IIT-Bhubaneswar.

The PM launched the MERITE (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education) scheme, designed to improve quality, equity, research, and innovation in 275 state engineering and polytechnic institutions across the country.

He flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express connecting Berhampur with Udhna in Gujarat’s Surat district.

Modi also dedicated to the nation the doubling of the 34-km Koraput–Baiguda rail line and the 82-km Manabar–Koraput–Gorapur section. PTI AAM BBM MNB BDC AAM NN

GST rate rationalisation reduces consumer tax burden and aims to lower prices while states may impose offsetting levies. GST rate rationalisation adopted a two-rate structure of 5% and 18% to lower consumer prices and reduce transaction-level tax burdens, while central income tax policy raised the effective tax-free threshold for individuals; the text notes that state-level additional levies can counteract central reductions. Administrative actions accompanying fiscal reform include targeted rural housing sanctions for vulnerable households and approvals for major infrastructure, telecom, education, and semiconductor projects intended to expand capacity and promote self-reliance.