New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) The 76th Independence Day was celebrated across the country on Monday, with several chief ministers making a slew of announcements while some others also used the occasion to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi"s "revdi culture" remark. While Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said it was "insulting" to dub welfare schemes as freebies, his Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot said it is the responsibility of the government to implement public welfare schemes. "People"s welfare is the primary responsibility of the governments. It is blame-worthy that the Centre, without properly fulfilling that responsibility, is insulting by calling welfare schemes as freebies," Rao said. KCR, as Rao is known, also launched a broadside against the NDA government at the Centre, alleging it was hurting federal values, weakening states financially and also centralising powers. Wading into the row over freebies, Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot said it is the responsibility of the government to implement public welfare schemes, citing weekly payments made to the poor and the elderly in developed countries. "There has been a talk about ‘revdi’ (freebie) culture but I do not consider it as such. These are public welfare schemes. In Rajasthan, one crore people are being given pensions," Gehlot said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that free education and healthcare are not freebies and access to these two can eliminate the country"s poverty in one generation. He also emphasised that school education and healthcare in the whole country can be revamped in five years, as this has happened in the national capital. There has been political acrimony over the issue of freebies with the BJP accusing Kejriwal of using it as a "bait" to trap people for power. Last month, Prime Minister Modi, at an event in Uttar Pradesh, cautioned people against what he called the "revdi culture" of offering freebies for garnering votes and said it is "very dangerous" for the development of the country. In Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the Union territory had put behind strikes and stone pelting and entered a new era of development and peace. "We have launched the final and decisive assault on terrorism. The 1.30 crore people of Jammu and Kashmir should lend their voice in support of these efforts," Sinha said addressing the 76th Independence Day celebrations at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium."There is no shutting down of markets or schools remaining closed for long periods," he added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she wants to build a nation where no one goes hungry, where no woman feels unsafe and where no oppressive forces divide the people."It is my promise to the people of this great nation that I shall strive everyday for our dream India," she tweeted. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said every Indian should be proud of the country and its parliamentary democracy.Adityanath said, "The country"s 135 crore people, in one voice and with the concept of "Ek Bharat, Sarvashreshth Bharat" (One India, Best India), have hoisted the tricolour, which is the pride of India." "Today, as we are associated with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, we should be proud of our country and its parliamentary democracy," he said. In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who snapped ties with the BJP last week, asserted that his new government was not only committed to fulfilling the promise of 10 lakh jobs, made by his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, but would like to exceed the employment generation target twice over. Delivering an extempore speech, Kumar turned towards Yadav and said, "We are together and we have this concept of 10 lakh jobs. We will do it. I would say, we shall be aiming for 20 lakh jobs. We will make efforts to achieve this target through both government and private sectors." Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said his government"s priority is to work for the common man and it is committed to extending the reservation benefits to the other backward classes, Maratha and Dhangar communities. After hoisting the national flag at the state secretariat as the CM for the first time, Shinde said several parts of the state have witnessed floods due to heavy rainfall. “We started working from day one and our priority is to work for the common man, farmers, the working class. The government is committed to extending the benefits of reservation to the OBCs, Maratha and Dhangar (shepherd) communities,” he said. In Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said the ideal of secularism and brotherhood championed by Mahatma Gandhi is the urgent need for the nation today and the DMK regime"s Dravidian model embodied all such lofty principles for the common good of all sections of people. Mahatma Gandhi epitomised all lofty humanitarian principles like secularism, equality, brotherhood, simplicity, honesty and discipline and he is among the great national symbols that should be reminded often to the people, he said in his Independence Day address. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann called on the people to wage a war against social maladies like unemployment, corruption and communalism to realise the dreams of freedom fighters and make the state "rangla" (vibrant) again.These maladies are hampering the progress of the state and the prosperity of its people, said Mann. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that every Haryanvi should vow to accomplish the five pledges -- making India a developed nation, removing any trace of the colonial mindset, taking pride in the country"s heritage, unity, and fulfilling their duties -- which Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people to take in the next 25 years while addressing the nation on the occasion of Independence Day. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced to make memories of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder KB Hedgewar “permanent” in the state and a memorial for heroes of the country"s freedom struggle. Chouhan also announced to provide one lakh government jobs within a year to the youth and a housing scheme for those not covered under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. In the neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the three-pronged strategy of "trust, development and security" played a crucial role in effectively checking Naxalism in the state. “We have achieved success in containing Naxalism which we had received in legacy (from previous governments). This success is the victory of democratic beliefs and the three-pronged strategy of "vishwas, vikas and suraksha" (trust, development and security) has played a crucial role in achieving it,” the CM said. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced a three per cent hike in the dearness allowance for government employees and expansion of welfare schemes under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). In Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said his government has decided to launch new schemes on sanitation, nutrition, and for the well-being of farmers, labourers and the brave soldiers of the state on the 75th anniversary of India"s Independence. He also said that the state government wants to empower Karnataka to make a contribution of at least USD 1 trillion to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi"s dream of transforming India into a USD 5 trillion economy. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged the people of the state to give their time for nation building so that a major transformation could be achieved in the next 25 years, leading to the centenary of India"s Independence.In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said federalism is the foundation of the Indian Constitution as well as the basis of the country"s existence and therefore, it should be kept in mind while moving forward especially in financial matters. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that his government will withdraw one lakh ‘minor cases’, including some involving social media posts, to reduce burden on lower courts.He also declared a slew of measures to strengthen education, healthcare, agriculture and other sectors in the state.While Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the state needs to attract investments across sectors to grow much faster and create more employment opportunities for youths, his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha said the state would soon recruit Special Executives to strengthen the police force in the north-eastern state. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said his government has been taking concrete steps to strengthen the internal security of the state. In Itanagar, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said his government would undertake tough reforms and would not hesitate to take on legacy issues for a better Arunachal Pradesh. Khandu said the decades-old boundary dispute between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have been handled in the right way for arriving at an amicable solution. Sikkim Chief Minister P S Tamang announced schemes for the welfare of women in the mountain state. PTI TEAM KVK KVK KVK