PM Modi working 18-19 hours every day to transform India: Hardeep Puri

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Terming it a "once in a lifetime" experience to work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that the PM remains committed to the 'Viksit Bharat' mission, working tirelessly with full passion for 18-19 hours every day to transform India.

"I am not the kind of person who drops names. But, I have had the privilege of knowing Prime Minister Modi much earlier. I have known him not only when I was a diplomat but before I became a civil servant. I can only tell you that in my 50-plus years of public life, I still have to come across any individual who comes within even close range," Puri told the social media channel of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"He is totally dedicated and works 18-19 hours a day, that too non-stop, seven days a week, 12 months a year. He has a commitment to the country and follows it with full passion. As a result of which, you can see the huge transformation that is taking place in India. The India of 2014 and India of 2024 are very different and, at the rate that we are going, the India of 2029 will be even more different," added Puri.

Also India's Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Puri credited PM Modi for his unyielding commitment and foresight.

"Not just the economic progress alone, but also I think the vision he has. Green energy is a case in point, you see the transformation that is taking place and is felt in the tier-2 and tier-3 cities and our rural areas. That is encompassed in his vision of a 'Viksit Bharat'. That sums it up... this is now the mission statement and that 'Viksit Bharat' journey which he started in 2014 will continue for another five years under his leadership," said Puri.

Even though Prime Minister Modi himself has attributed the rise of India to the efforts of 140 crore people of the country, Puri lauded PM Modi's vision for the huge transformation that is taking place in the country.

"India has slowly moved on from being the 10th largest economy in 2014 to the fifth largest right now. I can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that by 2027, we will be one of the top three economies," he assured.