Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his government is inspired by Lord Ram’s principles of governance with honesty. He also urged people to light Ram Jyoti on January 22, stressing that it will be an inspiration to remove poverty from their lives.

“Modi’s guarantee means ‘guarantee puri hone ki guarantee’. Lord Ram taught us to honour commitments made and we are fulfilling all goals we set for the welfare of the poor and their empowerment,” the PM said.

“Lord Ram did the work that made his people happy. My government is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of the poor. We launched schemes to mitigate their hardships,” he said, adding that the role of middlemen has been completely eradicated in his government’s welfare schemes.

The PM was addressing a gathering in Maharashtra’s Solapur after laying the foundation stone of 8 AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) projects worth around Rs 2,000 crore in the state.

Modi also dedicated more than 90,000 houses completed under PMAY-Urban in Maharashtra. He also kickstarted the distribution of 1st and 2nd instalments to 10,000 beneficiaries of PM-SVANIDHI in Maharashtra during the programme.

In a choked voice, the PM said he wished he had had the opportunity to stay in such houses when he was young. “Happiness comes when people’s dreams come true. Their blessings are my biggest investment,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)