This was the first NITI Aayog meeting since Modi returned to power and inducted new members into the governing body, including Amit Shah. (PTI Photo)At the fifth meeting of the NITI Aayog’s Governing Council, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday highlighted that the goal of making India a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024 is “challenging, but achievable” with the concerted efforts of states. He stated that states should recognise their core competence, and work towards raising GDP targets right from the district level.
Addressing the meet, the Prime Minister said, “Niti Aayog has a key role to play in the fulfilling mantra of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas.”
With several parts of the country reeling under a drought-like situation, Modi called for effective steps to tackle it by adopting ‘per-drop, more-crop’ strategy and said, “newly created Jal Shakti Ministry will help provide an integrated approach to water.”
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The meeting with the chief ministers of all states was the first since Modi returned to power and inducted new members into the governing body, including Amit Shah who is the Union Home Minister. However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao skipped the meeting.
PM Modi at the fifth NITI Aayog meeting. (Twitter/NITI Aayog)Aside from addressing the issue of the water crisis, PM Modi spoke of a collective fight against poverty, unemployment, flood, pollution, corruption and violence.
Urging members of Governing Council to help create a government setup which works and has the people’s trust, Modi said, “We are now moving towards a governance system characterised by performance, transparency and delivery.” He added that the on-ground implementation of schemes is vital.
NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said that a high-level task force will be formed to bring structural reforms in the agriculture sector. “PM has announced a high-level task force to bring structural reforms in agriculture in the country. It will be formed in near future and report will be submitted in next 2-3 months,” Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
It is to be noted that the NITI Ayog was launched by PM Modi during his first tenure in 2014 as a replacement for the ageing Planning Commission formed during former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure.
