PM Modi Stresses Govt-State Synergy In NITI Aayog Meeting, Calls For Zero Poverty As Priority For Viksit Bharat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired the ninth governing council meeting of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) to discuss making India a developed nation by 2047 on the agenda and said “we are moving in the right direction”. He emphasised cooperation and collective effort of all States and the Centre to work together to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

“We have defeated once in a hundred years pandemic. Our people are full of enthusiasm and confidence. We can fulfil our dreams of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 with the combined effort of all States. The Viksit States will make Viksit Bharat,” he said.

‘Zero Poverty’

The prime minister stressed the need to prioritise “zero poverty for a Viksit Bharat”. He further emphasized the need to tackle poverty on an individual basis rather than just at a programme level. He also observed that removing poverty from the grassroots would bring about a “transformational effect in our country”.

PM Modi also encouraged the creation of “River Grids” at the state level for the effective utilization of water resources and urged states to initiate Demographic Management Plans to address the issues of population ageing in future.

PM Modi further stressed that “this decade is of changes – technological and geo-political, and also of opportunities”. “India should grab these opportunities and make our policies conducive for international investments. This is the stepping stone for progress to make India a developed nation,” he added.

“Viksit Bharat @ 2047 is ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role to achieve this aim as they are directly connected with the people,” the prime minister said.

“Attended the 9th Governing Council Meeting of @NITIAayog. Heard the insightful views of Chief Ministers,” PM Modi wrote in an X post.

The meeting also focussed on the recommendations of the third National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in December last year. The council with the prime minister as the chairperson comprises all state chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers.

Several INDIA bloc chief ministers, including Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin of the DMK, Kerala Chief Minister and CPI (M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party and all three Congress chief ministers — Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh’s Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Telangana’s Revanth Reddy, decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting after they slammed the Centre for its biased budget to accommodate allies JD(U) and TDP.