PM Modi while speaking at the fourth meeting of the Niti Aayog’s (government think tank chaired by the prime minister) governing council, on June 17 said the “Challenge now is to take this growth rate to double digits, for which many more steps have to be taken”.
The PMO in a statement said that the world expects India to become a $5 trillion economy soon.
The meeting is attended by union ministers, 23 Chief Ministers (except Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Goa, Tripura and Delhi) and one lieutenant-governor and top bureaucrats.
‘The Governing Council has approached complex issues of governance… in the spirit of cooperative, competitive federalism” PM Modi said while commenting on the support extended by four chief ministers, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh’s N Chandrababu Naidu, Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan and Karnataka’s HD Kumaraswamy to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Delhi CM has been on a sit-in protest at the house of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for almost a week demanding statehood for Delhi. All the four CMs met PM Modi on the sidelines of the meeting to seek resolution for what they called a “constitutional crisis.”
“I along with the Hon’ble CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala have requested Hon’ble PM today to resolve the problems of Delhi government immediately,” tweeted CM Banerjee.
Latest Developments
The Centre will continue to focus on farm income and mining
The PM has sought suggestions from the states for incentivizing fund allocation under the finance commission
PM also urged states to consider the Centre’s proposal for holding simultaneous polls in the country while adopting a uniform voter list for the nation to begin with.
PM Modi said chief ministers of states have played a key role in policy formulation, through sub-groups and committees on issues such as Swachh Bharat Mission, Digital Transactions and Skill Development.
Recommendations of these sub-groups have been incorporated by various ministries of the union government, he added.
The PM said in the current financial year, states are receiving over 11 lakh crore rupees from the centre for the universal coverage in seven important welfare schemes: Ujjwala, Saubhagya, Ujala, Jan Dhan, Jeevan Jyoti Yojana, Suraksha Bima Yojana and Mission Indradhanush.
Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said, “The focus of the governing council meeting was statutory provisions granted to bifurcated states and the Centre has assured them these will be fulfilled.”
He also said Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have been demanding special status from the Centre.
However, the four chief ministers, who were denied permission to meet Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on June 16, accused the Centre of stoking the crisis.
“If this is happening in the capital, then what will happen in other states?” Mamata Banerjee said.
