PM Modi chairs sixth Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog
PM Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired the sixth meeting of the Governing Council of federal policy-making body NITI Aayog through video conferencing attended by the state Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, and other authorities. Discussing the National Development Agenda, the Prime Minister stressed the need for increased collaboration between the states and the Centre to "make cooperative federalism even more meaningful." Here's more.
During the meeting, PM Modi said there's a need for a solid policy framework as India tries to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic-induced economic crisis. He also said it was time to bring competitive and cooperative federalism not only among states but districts as well. And, he stressed the need to provide a boost to start-ups and MSMEs through innovation and the Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission.
"The agenda of the meeting (of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog) includes deliberations on agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, human resource development, service delivery at the grassroots level, and health and nutrition," said a government release earlier on Thursday.
"In the COVID-19 period, we saw how the Centre and the states worked together. The nation succeeded and a good image of India was built before the entire world (sic)," PM Modi said during the meeting. "We, as governments, have to provide private sector opportunities to take part in the mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)," he said.
"Foundation of India's development is that Centre and States work together and head toward a certain direction and make cooperative federalism even more meaningful. We also have to try to bring competitive, cooperative federalism not only among states but also districts," Modi said.
Meanwhile, PM Modi also praised the Union Budget 2021-22, saying that it has expressed the country's mood. "The kind of positive response that has come on this year's budget, it has expressed what the mood of the nation is," he said. "The country has made up its mind. Country wants to move fast, country does not want to waste time now (sic)," he added.
The Prime Minister also underscored the need to achieve "Ease of Doing Business" to strengthen India's global positioning so that it can "grab global opportunities." He also spoke about achieving "Ease of Living" for Indians. "For India's citizens, we must try and better Ease of Living. It will help us achieve the aspirations of Indians and make their lives better," PM Modi said.
Notably, the sixth meeting of NITI Aayog's Governing Council witnessed the participation of Ladakh for the first time, in addition to Jammu & Kashmir's maiden participation as a Union Territory. Notable absentees from the meeting included Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
