NEW DELHI: Union ministers will visit 40 cities from May 29 to June 1 to showcase the
Modi government’s achievements in the last four years. Ministers have been already asked to keep themselves free of engagements for visiting different parts of the country, ET has learnt.
Final contours of the plan are being firmed up, but home minister
Rajnath Singh is likely to visit northeast cities and external affairs minister
Sushma Swaraj is set to visit Bhopal and Indore, among other cities. Petroleum minister
Dharmendra Pradhan may be in Vishakapattnam and Cuttack and law minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad in Jaipur. Each minister is expected to visit 4-5 cities. The final city-wise roster was still under preparation though the ministers have been told in writing to keep themselves available for the outreach programme, a source told ET.
The idea is to take the message to people across states rather than centre it around New Delhi. The government also felt that it was important to communicate to the public and to states about the various initiatives the Modi government has undertaken and underline the Centre’s role in major flagship schemes. The Modi government will complete four years in government this Saturday.
A month back, ministers and all BJP MPs were asked to pro-actively reach out to Dalit populations ahead of BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary to highlight the Centre’s initiatives for Dalits. Ministers were also asked to observe a day-long fast to protest against the washout of the budget session of Parliament in different cities. Last year, the government sent out 13 ministers to 13 cities to address press conferences defending demonetisation on its first.
