New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said the mandate given by the people in the 17th Lok Sabha elections was for accelerated development and expressed confidence that the productive Parliament session was an indicator of what is in store in the coming five years.

Addressing the nation on the eve of 73rd Independence day, the President, recalling that objective of India’s great freedom fighters was to improve life of each individual, family and of society as a whole, expressed confidence that the recent changes in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh would immensely benefit the citizens of these regions.

A facilitative and enabling environment by the government, the President said, can boost the creation of financial, physicial, institutional and social infrastructure .


Noting that India completing 72 years as an independent nation came on the eve of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the President said the ideals and philosophy of the Father of the Nation remained relevant in the present-day world.

The President said that the mandate given by people in the recent elections was for an accelerated development and stressed that it was essential to fulfill these dreams.
In this context, he expressed confidence that the productive Parliament session recently was an indicator of the next five years.

' I am happy to note that the recently-concluded session of Parliament saw lengthy and productive sittings of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Many important Bills were passed, in a spirit of cross-party cooperation and constructive debate. I am confident this is only an indicator of what the coming five years have in store. I also urge that this culture percolates to all our legislative assemblies,' Mr Kovind said.

Noting that the mandate given by people in the recent elections was for accelerated development, the President said it was essential to fulfill these dreams.

' It is important not merely because the elected must be equal to the trust placed in them by their electors. It is also important because nation building – a continuous process, of which Independence was a key milestone – requires every institution and every stakeholder to work in tandem, harmony and togetherness. Nation building, at the end of the day, is about creating that optimal partnership between voters and their representatives, between citizens and their government, and between civil society and state.

'The state and the government have an important role here, as a facilitator and an enabler. As such, it is critical for our key institutions and the policy makers to study and appreciate the message being sent by citizens and to be responsive to the thoughts and wishes of our people. Before 1947, the dreams were for a free India. Today, the dreams are for accelerated development;for effective and transparent governance;and yet for a smaller footprint of government in our everyday lives. Fulfilling these dreams is essential. Any reading of the mandate of the people would make their aspirations clear, 'the President said.
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