PM Modi addressing Indian diaspora at SAP Center in San Jose
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today introduced to a large crowd of Indians in San Jose what he called his "JAM" style of governance.
"Our mission is JAM - 'Jan Dhan' bank accounts for all, Aadhar unique identity card and Mobile Governance," PM Modi explained in his address at the SAP center in San Jose, capping a two-day trip to the Silicon Valley.
The prime minister went on to describe the Jan Dhan scheme introduced by his government soon after he took power last year. "I decided to open bank accounts for the poorest in 100 days. We decided that the poor should be allowed zero balance accounts. Banks said at least give us money for stationery, but we told them - you have had it easy for 40 years. Now it is time to sweat it out," he said.
The PM said he was astonished at the "wealth" of the poor. "They deposited 10, 50 rupees and today, we have 32 crore rupees in Jan Dhan accounts," he said.
PM Modi said as part of the JAM initiative, he hoped to tackle corruption in the country by using technology to connect to the masses.
"So tell me, has the country not seen a fall in corruption?" he asked the crowd, adding, "Yes it has. This is a silent revolution."