Only 24 Lakh Indians Declared Income Over Rs 10 lakh: Modi 

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was unacceptable that only 24 lakh people in the country have declared that they earn over Rs 10 lakh a year.

We all see big buildings and cars around us. In the big cities, one can find many people with more than Rs 10 Lakh income

"In the country only 24 lakh people accept that their income is more than Rs 10 lakh. Can any one accept it," Modi said in his address to the nation on New Year's eve.

"We all see big buildings and cars around us. In the big cities, one can find many people with more than Rs 10 Lakh income," he said.

Modi said this fight for honesty needed to be strengthened. It is natural to discuss what will happen with the corrupt. Law will take its own course,” he added.

People Want Freedom From Corruption

Modi said thousands of people had written to him about the hardships they faced due to demonetisation but the November 8 decision proved that Indians wanted freedom from corruption.

"The corruption had made the people of the country to bow before of it without their will. And they wanted to come out of it," Modi said in his address to the nation on the New Year's eve.

Terming demonetisation as a "historic cleansing ritual", Modi said people of the country had taken the biggest "shudhi yagna" after Diwali.

Modi Announces New Housing Schemes

Modi also announced that the government would give the rebate of three and four percent on interest rates to the people who seek loans to build their houses in 2017.

"To make the people of the middle class and the poor to buy or build their homes, the government has brought to schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana," Modi said. He said a concession of four percent will be given to those take a loan of up to Rs 9 lakh and three percent on Rs 12 lakh.

The Prime Minister also said that the government would also build 33 percent more houses in the villages under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Awas Yojana. Modi also said that those who want to modify their building or houses, would get three percent concession on loan of upto Rs 2 lakh.

Rs 6,000 Aid For Pregnant Women

Modi announced a scheme to provide pregnant women financial aid of Rs 6,000 as part of efforts to bring down the maternal mortality rate.

"The scheme will be applicable across the over 650 districts of the country. Under this scheme a pregnant woman will be provided with Rs 6,000 for covering hospital admission, vaccination and nutritional food," said Modi.

"The money will be directly transferred to pregnant women bank accounts," he said, adding that it "will greatly help in bringing down maternal mortality rate". Currently the scheme is being implemented on a pilot basis in 53 districts with the benefit amount being Rs 4,000.

IANS