"First is to improve quality of life in villages and on the other hand, we need to think long term so that we can mitigate the challenges our urban areas are facing. The Government of India is actively working on the Rurban Mission. This caters to those places that are growing and urbanising quickly," he added.

Prime Minister Modi said one must plan for the future as everything cannot be seen from a political point of view.

"We must plan adequately for growth of our cities. The character and spirit of the village has to be preserved and at the same time we need to invigorate our villages with good facilities. The gains of the present are vital but we need systems that cater to the needs and aspirations of the future too," he added.

The Prime Minister asserted that it is the government's endeavour to complete any project within the decided time frame.

"Delayed projects do not help. The people need both highways and i-ways. There is need to establish optical fibre network for i-ways. Earlier infrastructure was only about roads, rail and airports. Now times have changed. We need to cater to people's expectations. We are working on gas grids, water grids, digital network, leveraging space technology, using technology to help farmers," he added.

Prime Minister Modi further said that after November 8, the urban local bodies have seen a rise in their income.

"This makes it possible to spend more resources of development. In this nation, everybody is equal before the law and everyone has to follow the law. If the evils of corruption and black money were removed earlier, I would not have had to take the decisions I took. The people who have the means, tend to break the law. But we have ensured that even they stand in queues," he added.

Asserting that Pune is a city of learning, the Prime Minister said, "Can't this city take the lead in embracing online banking and exploring the facilities available? Those who haven't taken the decision have hampered the nation. I have saved the nation. Few people thought that by depositing black money, it would get converted into white. The money could not be converted from black to white...instead the faces became black.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)