Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the Centre, states and Union Territories need to work as a team and develop a long-term common vision to fulfil the aspirations of people to make India a developed country by 2047, when the country completes 100 years of Independence.
Addressing the eighth Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog here, Modi also urged the states to maintain fiscal discipline and take financially prudent decisions which are capable of delivering programmes that meet the aspirations of the people.
The Prime Minister urged the states to proactively use the Gati Shakti Portal not only for infrastructure and logistics but also for local area development and creation of social infrastructure.
Briefing media about the deliberations of the meeting, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said that chief ministers and Lt Governors of 19 states and six UTs attended the meeting.
However, chief ministers of 11 states — Punjab, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala, Manipur and Rajasthan — did not attend the meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog.
According to an official statement, chief ministers/Lt. Governors gave various policy-level suggestions. They mentioned specific issues pertaining to the states which require Centre-State cooperation, it added.
Some of the key suggestions and best practices highlighted by them included opting for green strategies, a need for zone-wise planning, tourism, urban planning, agriculture, quality of workmanship, and logistics, among others.
The Prime Minister said NITI Aayog will study the states’ concerns, challenges, and best practices and subsequently plan the way forward. He said that NITI Aayog can play a critical role in helping States to develop their strategies for the next 25 years and align the same with the National Development Agenda.
The NITI Aayog CEO also said the government think tank will be creating NITI Aayog type institutions in all 35 states and UTs.
Generally, the full council meeting happens every year and last year, it was held under the chairmanship of Modi on August 7. The council meeting was not convened in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The first meeting of the council took place on February 8, 2015. (PTI)
