In his address to the nation on the eve of the 75th independence day, President Ram Nath Kovind cautioned the citizens to abide by COVID19 precautions while emphasising the pandemic is not over yet.

“The intensity of the pandemic has come down, but the coronavirus has not yet gone away. We are yet to come out of the devastating effects of its recurrence this year,” the President said.

President Kovind also stated that COVID19 vaccines are the best possible protection that science has to offer. “I urge all eligible citizens who are yet to get vaccinated to do so at the earliest and also inspire others,” he appealed.

Meanwhile, the country logged 38,667 fresh COVID19 cases today, on August 14. With 20,452 fresh cases, Kerala continued to lead the states in reporting the highest number of COVID19 cases.

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President Kovind also expressed his gratitude to the healthcare professionals for selfless service during the second wave of the COVID19.

“Once again, our Corona warriors, the doctors, nurses, and others, risked everything to contain the impact of the second wave,” he said.

The President also stated that it is ‘heartening’ to see that Rs 23,220 crores are being spent for the extension of medical facilities to the people of India.

President Kovind on agri reforms, farmers and rural India

In a supposed reference to the three farm laws passed by the Parliament last year, the President stated that the reforms will help farmers get better price for their produce.

“The series of agricultural marketing reforms will empower our ‘annadata’ farmers and help them get better price for their produce. These are some of the measures the government has taken to unleash the potential of every Indian,” he said.

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“It is heartening to note that rural India, particularly the agriculture sector has kept growing against all odds. In a recent visit to my ancestral village Paraunkh in Kanpur Dehat district, I was quite pleased to find that better infrastructure is being developed to make life better for people in rural areas,” the President stated.

President Kovind also talked about the ‘psychological distance’ between the urban and the rural and stated that it is now much less as compared to the past.

“After all, India lives in its villages which cannot be allowed to lag behind in development. That is why special campaigns, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, are being implemented for the welfare of our farmers,” he said.