As many as ten states and Union Territories did not participate in the ninth Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as stated by its CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam on Saturday.
The meeting saw the attendance of 26 participants, including Chief Ministers and Lt Governors of various UTs, Subrahmanyam reported during a media briefing. The states and UTs that were absent included Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Puducherry. He remarked, “It is their loss if they do not participate.”
Regarding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who walked out of the meeting, Subrahmanyam explained that her request to speak before lunch was granted, despite her turn being scheduled for the afternoon based on the alphabetical order of states. When her time came, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tapped the mic, at which point she stopped speaking and walked out. However, officials from the West Bengal government continued to attend the meeting.
Concerning Bihar, Subrahmanyam noted that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was unable to attend due to an assembly session in the state.
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery highlighted that in his address, Prime Minister Modi encouraged states to compete for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to ensure that investments reach all states, especially those that are less successful.
The meeting also focused on demographic management and the concept of zero poverty. Subrahmanyam added that the Prime Minister wants states to increase their spending on districts to foster growth, and he appreciated the ‘zero poverty’ initiative proposed by some states, suggesting that villages could be declared ‘zero poverty villages’ after proper assessment.