How Boycotting NITI Aayog Governing Council Meetings by CMs Is Equal to Boycotting States' Development: Sources

Chief ministers of opposition-ruled states, who have chosen to stay away from the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, are “boycotting the development” of their states, central government sources said on Saturday.

Over a hundred issues of importance will be discussed at the meeting, and the states that will not be represented will end up losing out, they added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is presiding over the NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting being held in Delhi on Saturday.

The chief ministers who have decided to not attend the meeting include Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann, Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot, West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, Bihar’s Nitish Kumar, Telangana’s K Chandrashekar Rao, Tamil Nadu’s MK Stalin, and Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan.

“Roadmap to be laid down on following issues: Viksit Bharat@2047, (ii) Thrust on MSMEs, (iii) Infrastructure and Investments, (iv) Minimising Compliances, (v) Women Empowerment, (vi) Health and Nutrition, (vii) Skill Development, and (viii) Gati Shakti for area development and social infrastructure. People of the states whose CMs boycott the meeting will not be able to reap the benefits of discussions and decisions on minimising compliances, Gatishakti, modern infrastructure, MSMEs, and Skill Development. There is a rich legacy of action taken and citizen welfare from the roadmap laid down by previous GC meetings,” the sources said.

The GCMs give an opportunity to the Centre and states to identify key development issues and resolve them jointly, they said.

In the seven such meetings held so far, numerous issues were discussed and resolved, said the sources.

In the previous GCM, nearly 40 key areas were identified and these are being jointly implemented by the Centre, States and UTs, they added.

According to sources, below are the benefits that states have received after participating in NITI Aayog GCMs:

• States developed modern urban development model to address issues such as urban planning, HRD, capacity building, skilling, urban employment, migration, mobility, urban taxation and governance.
• 2,530 cities have implemented Online Building Permit System (OBPS) in 30 States/ UTs.
• 10 States have put in place Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy and have identified corridors.
• Implementation of National Urban Digital Mission: An All-India open source software developed under NUDM, enabling 9 services online. All urban services and all cities to be made online by 2026.
• Financial Ranking of Cities: City Finance ranking portal made live on 20 March 2023.
• Data of urban governance programmes integrated with PM Gati Shakti portal.
• Deployment of 5G cells, Indian Telegraph Right of Way (RoW) Rules, 2016 amended dated August 17, 2022.
• “GatiShakti Sanchar Portal” launched in May 2022, which is a collaborative institutional mechanism between all stakeholders to facilitate the Right of Way (RoW) Application Process through a single interface.
• BharatNet is being implemented in a phased manner to provide connectivity at all Gram Panchayats (approx. 2,50,000) with broadband in the country and expansion in its scope.
• By March 2023, 6.2 lakh km Optical Fibre Cable has been laid, more than 1.96 lakh GPs have been connected by Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and 1.85 lakh GPs are service ready on OFC. Besides, 4702 GPs have been connected over satellite media.
• To enable the shared telecommunication Infrastructure, “Infrastructure Providers Category-I (IP-1)” registrations are issued to the entities, irrespective of telecom licensees, to provide passive telecom infrastructure namely Dark Fibers, Duct Space, Mobile Towers and RoW (Right of Way). As on May 31, 2023, there are total 1386 IP-1 registrations have been issued.
• The NIRF portal opened for registration of HEIs for India Rankings 2023, including registration of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for Agriculture and Allied Sectors in addition to existing categories and subject disciplines. Applications are being encouraged through advertisement.
• 64 out of 67 Agricultural Universities have applied for the NIRF ranking. Others are in the process of application.
• All Agricultural Universities have initiated the process of joining NAAC. Some have already joined. Others are in the various stages of getting NAAC accreditation.
• The states are focusing on agroecological zone-based planning based on a cluster approach. Such schemes are being implemented in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
• Identified 75 districts in 17 states representing 14 agroecological zones of the country have been sanctioned to ICAR to be implemented by 2027-28.
• To promote exports, in coordination with APEDA, handholding and support for FPOs have been initiated.
• Export of coloured capsicum, cherry tomatoes and broccoli to Arab countries and green chilli and okra to European countries has been undertaken.
• The export of value-added products has also increased such as pulses from 359 to 662 USD million (98%), processed vegetables from 412 to 509 USD million (33.25%), processed fruits and juices from 778 to 908 USD Millions (26.08%), groundnuts from 629 to 832 USD million (43.39%).
• Local products including ODOP are being promoted by States/UTs through displays, exhibitions, delegate kits and visits to art and craft centres.
• Jan Bhagidari activities with active coordination with state governments, like G20 lecture series in 75 Universities across the country, Know Your G20′ quiz through MyGov, dissemination of a G20 ‘School connect’ brochure, setting up of G20 pavilion and exhibition at the New Delhi World Book Fair, G20 co-branding and pavilions at the Manipur Sangai Festival, Kite Festival in Gujarat, Surajkund International Crafts Fair, a G20 themed Food Festival, Flower show, etc.
• The GST revenue collected in April, 2023 is Rs 1,87,035 crore. The revenues for April 2023 are 12 per cent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year.
• Consultation-cum-Review meetings held with States/UTs to discuss the implementation of NEP 2020, Strategy and Roadmap for Action for implementation of NEP 2020.
• Vidya Pravesh: Vidya Pravesh module of NCERT implemented across 33 States/UTs from 2022-23. 1.81 crore students from 8.7 lakh schools participating in the Programme.
• No proxy teachers in schools: 35 States have initiated. 13 States/ UTs are displaying teachers’ photographs in all Government schools (10.59 lakh teachers).DIKSHA: Multilingual e-contents developed in 29 Indian languages and 7 foreign languages across States/UTs.
• ABC (Academic Bank of Credit) Portal has been set up. Around 889 Universities and 81 lakh students have registered so far.
• National Credit Framework (NCrF) has been jointly developed by the Regulators of School, Skill and Higher Education. It encompasses credit from academic grade, skill programme and relevant experience. It enables establishing equivalence and mobility across streams, lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, and multiple exit or entry.
• 41 Engineering Courses across 10 States in 8 Indian Languages started.
• 1553 SWAYAM Courses have been translated into 13 different regional languages.

As per the Centre, the earlier GCM meetings paved the way for the states to develop a modern urban development model in order to address issues such as urban planning, human resource development, capacity building, skilling, urban employment, migration, mobility, urban taxation and governance. The meetings also helped in leveraging technology to promote ease of living, transparency, and participative governance.