Free education, healthcare not freebies, can eliminate poverty: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asserted that free education and healthcare are not freebies and access to these services can make India rich and eliminate the countrys poverty in one generationAt the Delhi governments Independence Day event at Chhatrasal Stadium here he also emphasised that school education and healthcare in the entire country can be revamped in five years as this has happened in the national capitalThere has been political acrimony over the issue of freebies with the BJP accusing Kejriwal of using it as a bait to trap people for power after Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month cautioned people against what he called the revdi culture of offering freebies for votesExplaining his vision for India of the future the chief minister laid stress on education and health citing the two words 50 and 30 times respectively in his 40minute speechAt the event where thousands of children were invited Kejriwal said the countrys 130 crore people need to come together and resolve to make India the number one country in the worldWe came together and chased the Britishers out Today if we come together we can make India the top country in the world he saidLamenting that many nations like Singapore that got independence after India or were destroyed during Second World War have surpassed it the Delhi chief minister reiterated that education and healthcare are key to becoming a rich countryHow did countries like the US Canada Germany and Denmark become rich They arranged for good education and healthcare facilities for their citizens We will also make India the number one country in the world as there are all the resources and Indians are most intelligent people he saidThere is no shortcut to providing good education and health and it can be made possible in just five years he saidIf India has to become rich and number one country in the world then free education for every child and good free healthcare for every Indian will have to be arranged This could happen in five years If children received good education poverty will be eradicated in one generation Kejriwal saidCiting his governments Business Blasters programme for students Kejriwal also said unemployment in the country can be finished in 34 years if around two crore passing out students every year are equipped with business ideas so they do not look for government jobs and become job creators insteadWe can survive by sacrificing one meal a day if there were lack of funds but we should not budge from achieving the goal of education at any cost Kejriwal said and added that 39 countries like the US UK Denmark and Canada offered free education to the childrenTalking about the Aam Aadmi Party dispensations achievements in Delhi he said the education system and health facilities in the city have been reformed by his governmentThe government schools were in shambles earlier with children sitting on carpets and getting no education But we reformed the government schools and today a poor child studying in a staterun school can also dream of becoming a lawyer or engineer the Delhi chief minister saidHe claimed even well off people now have started sending their children to government schools citing 4 lakh students going there from private schools in Delhi The credit for this revolution goes to parents teachers principals and students not to Kejriwal or Sisodia he saidThe chief minister also said the government has ramped up healthcare infrastructure and irrespective of their financial status people have access to free hospital care in DelhiOn average we are spending Rs 2000 for the healthcare of every Delhiite We can arrange for good healthcare facilities in Rs 25 lakh crore for 130 crore Indians We can open worldclass mohalla clinics and hospitals in five years he addedPaying homage to all freedom fighters and those who struggled for the growth and progress of the country he noted that it is time to celebrate progress in various fieldsBut we need to think over challenges and our future course Many are asking why many countries got past us in 75 years he saidHe concluded his address by singing Hum Honge Kamyaab We shall overcomeThe chief minister hoisted the tricolour at the function He also presented Presidents medals for meritorious service to Delhi prisons staff and Fire Services personnelThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever