NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday presided over the ninth meeting of the Executive Board of the National Institute of Indian Affairs (NITI Aayog), which aims to promote participatory governance and cooperation between the central and state governments.
However, the conference was marked by a boycott by several opposition-ruled states and the walkout of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Meanwhile, NDA ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was absent from the meeting, a development that has raised questions in political circles. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha attended the meeting.
According to Indian National Congress CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, 10 states and union territories, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Puducherry, did not participate in the conference.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the only opposition figure to attend, walked out, claiming that her microphone had been muted and that she was only allowed to speak for five minutes while others got 10 to 20. The central government denied her claim, saying the clock simply indicated that her time had run out.
Opposition chief ministers boycotted the session to protest against the “discriminatory” Union Budget 2024-25 against state governments not ruled by the NDA. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin initiated the boycott, followed by Congress-ruled states and the AAP-led Punjab government.Focus on Vikshit Bharat
However, the conference was marked by a boycott by several opposition-ruled states and the walkout of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Meanwhile, NDA ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was absent from the meeting, a development that has raised questions in political circles. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha attended the meeting.
According to Indian National Congress CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, 10 states and union territories, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Puducherry, did not participate in the conference.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the only opposition figure to attend, walked out, claiming that her microphone had been muted and that she was only allowed to speak for five minutes while others got 10 to 20. The central government denied her claim, saying the clock simply indicated that her time had run out.
Opposition chief ministers boycotted the session to protest against the “discriminatory” Union Budget 2024-25 against state governments not ruled by the NDA. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin initiated the boycott, followed by Congress-ruled states and the AAP-led Punjab government.
Focus on Vikshit Bharat
Addressing the meeting, PM Modi stressed that states need to compete for FDI so that investments reach all states, especially the less successful ones, and said that ‘zero poverty’ vision should be targeted at the village level.
The meeting focused on making India a developed country by 2047 and a vision document is being prepared to help India become a $30 trillion economy by then.
Vision 2047: The meeting focused on achieving the vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047” and stressed on the collaboration between the central and state governments to develop India into a fully developed country by the centenary of Independence. Economic Growth: PM Modi highlighted India’s economic development and said that the two countries have a common goal of growing from the 10th largest economy in 2014 to the 5th largest economy by 2024 and becoming the third largest economy in the world. Socio-Economic Infrastructure: The Prime Minister acknowledged the significant progress in socio-economic infrastructure, moving India from an import-led economy to a prominent exporter in various sectors, including defence and space. Opportunities for Development: PM Modi termed the current decade as a decade of change and opportunity and urged states to adopt innovative policies and governance programmes that will foster development. Grassroots Vision: He stressed that the vision of a developed India needs to permeate every district, block and village and area-wise planning should be encouraged. 2047. Ambitious District Programme: The success of the programme was due to continuous monitoring and healthy competition among districts, which improved the performance of districts in government schemes. Youth Employment: Highlighting the importance of skills and training, and saying India is viewed favourably with a skilled workforce, PM Modi urged states to make their youth employment-ready. Investment Friendly Environment: He directed NITI Aayog to prepare an “Investment Friendly Charter” to attract investments and stressed the need for good governance, law and order, and infrastructure rather than mere incentives. Poverty Alleviation: PM Modi proposed making zero poverty a priority objective and advocated a tailored approach to poverty reduction to create a transformative effect. Agriculture Development: He encouraged states to increase agricultural productivity, promote natural farming and effectively link farmers to markets. Population Management: The Prime Minister called for a scheme to address demographic changes, particularly the ageing population. Capacity Building: He urged states to invest in capacity building of government officials in collaboration with the Capacity Development Committee and the Construction Committee. Suggestions from states: The Prime Minister and the Lt Governor shared various suggestions to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat, focusing on areas like agriculture, education, governance, digitalisation etc. Next steps: PM Modi directed NITI Aayog to analyse the suggestions made during the meeting and stressed the importance of cooperative federalism in India’s progress towards the 2047 vision.
