Mumbai, Dec 26: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "trouble-shooter leader" who fought from the front to get the world's largest democracy out of the "biggest calamity of the century".

Speaking after inaugurating various development projects at Dhule in Maharashtra, Naqvi said PM Modi ensured adequate facilities and resources for the health and well-being of people during the COVID-19 related challenges. Mann Ki Baat: Individual Alertness, Discipline 'Big Strength' of Country in Fight Against New COVID-19 Variant, Says PM Narendra Modi.

People's self-restraint and precautions reflected their faith in the leadership of Modi, he said.

"By the grace of God, we have a trouble-shooter leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has fought from the front to get the world's largest democracy out of the biggest calamity of the century," he said.

Naqvi claimed some political parties were trying to commit the sin of derailing the country's progress, prosperity and unity through "post-paid political pretence".

"We have to be remain cautious of such players, who are leaving no chance to harm India's growing prestige across the world through their 'caucus of conspiracies'," he said.

Prime Minister Modi is taking the country forward on the highway of good governance by demolishing the “speed breaker of cut, commission, corruption, crime and communalism”, the senior BJP leader said.

The Modi era has dissipated the “politics of danga and dabangs” with the determination to development with dignity, he said.

Inclusive empowerment” is “rashtradharma” and empowerment without appeasement is “rashtraniti” of the Modi government, he said.

The Modi government has made every section of society an equal partner of the development process, and his governance is an era of 'Iqbal' (authority), 'Insaaf' (justice) and 'Imaan' (integrity), Naqvi said.

The Union minister said the Modi government has worked for the health and well-being of every caste, community, region and religion, he said.

Today, the COVID-19 vaccination figure has crossed 141 crore. Free ration is being provided to more than 80 crore needy people, the minister pointed out.

The Modi government gave priority to precaution, prevention and adequate facilities, instead of panic, he said.

During the first COVID-19 wave in India in 2020, there was a lack of resources to tackle the pandemic. But, India has now become self-reliant in COVID-19 vaccines, ventilators, medicines, PPE (personal protective equipment) kits, N-95 masks, testing labs for the coronavirus, ICU beds, COVID-19-dedicated hospitals and medical oxygen, Naqvi said.

The production of medical oxygen has now been increased to over 9,000 MT (metric tons) per day, from just 900 MT per day before January 2020, he said.

More than 80,000 COVID-19 vaccination centres are functioning. There are over 2,600 COVID-19 testing labs in the country, he said.

India currently has an indigenous production capacity of more than 10 lakh COVID-19 testing kits per day. There are over 2,000 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals; more than 4,000 dedicated COVID-19 health centres and about 13,000 COVID-19 care centres, the minister informed.

Total isolation beds (with/without oxygen) have been increased to more than 15 lakh as compared to about 10,000 at the starting of 2020. The ICU beds have been increased to over 85,000 compared to just 2,000 before the lockdown last year, he said.

More than five lakh indigenous N-95 masks and over five lakh PPE kits are being manufactured in India every day, he said, adding that more than four lakh ventilators are being produced annually.

In the last seven years, the Modi government has provided houses to 2.20 lakh crore poor people, more than 12 crore farmers have been given the 'Kisan Samman Nidhi', and about 9 crore women from poor sections have been given free gas connections under the 'Ujjwala Yojana'.

Also, more than 32 crore people have been provide easy loans for various economic activities including self-employment under the 'Mudra Yojana' and ober 44 crore people have benefitted through the 'Jan Dhan Yojana', he said.

Further listing the central government's achievements, the minister said 13 crore toilets have been constructed under the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' across the country and more than two crore people have been given free of cost medical treatment under the 'Ayushman Bharat' scheme.

Naqvi inaugurated various development projects worth crores of rupees, including a community auditorium and roads at Dondaicha in Dhule and addressed public meetings in the district.