As he elaborated on the use of drones in governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the technology is also helpful for surprise inspections. With the use of drones, he added, it has also become easier for him to monitor the progress of government projects.
“It is essential to constantly monitor the quality of government projects. But it’s no longer necessary for me to inform (officials) in advance that I have to go there for an inspection. Everything will then be in place. If I send a drone, all the information that’s needed is collected and people on the other side may not realise that it has already happened,” PM Modi said at the two-day Bharat Drone Mahotsav in Delhi, India’s biggest drone festival.
“Every month I organise a Pragati meeting with government officials and review the development works in various parts of the country with the help of drones. I also request them to give me a live demonstration of the project sites where drones are being used. That makes it easier for me to make decisions,” the prime minister said.
“For instance, when development work began in Kedarnath, it was not possible for me to go there every time. But I could take stock of the pace of the work with the help of drones. That is how I regularly monitored the progress.”
Just at the start of the address, he also joked about how he got delayed in coming for the event because he got consumed in exploring the tech highlighted at the exhibition. “Every stall I went to, they proudly told me – this is ‘Make in India’ technology.”
At the event, the prime minister also slammed the former government for not doing enough to encourage the use of technology. He also said that even farmers were relying on drones now, shedding their inhibitions, for a better produce.