Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called upon states and Union Territories to dismantle policy hurdles hindering investment and employment generation, asserting that a collaborative “Team India” approach between the Centre and states makes any national goal achievable.
Briefing reporters after the 10th Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog, CEO BVR Subrahmanyam revealed a significant outcome: unanimous support from all attendees for “Operation Sindoor,” India’s recent military action aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure in Pakistan. This marks the first major meeting between the Prime Minister and state chief ministers and lieutenant governors since the operation.
PM mentions critical needs
Beyond security, Prime Minister Modi underscored the critical need for states to prioritise agriculture, education, and healthcare. He framed Niti Aayog’s decade-long journey as a preparatory phase for achieving the ambitious “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) goal. The theme of the Governing Council meeting itself was “Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047,” reinforcing this overarching vision.
Subrahmanyam noted the strong attendance at the meeting, with 31 out of 36 states and Union Territories participating. States that could not attend due to prior commitments included Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, and Puducherry.
“We have to increase the speed of development. If the Centre and all the States come together and work together like Team India, no goal is impossible,” Niti Aayog quoted the Prime Minister as saying in a post on X. Modi further emphasised, “Viksit Bharat is the goal of every Indian. When every state is Viksit, then Bharat will be Viksit. This is the aspiration of its 140 crore citizens.”
Niti Aayog
As chairman of Niti Aayog, the apex body comprising all state chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers, Prime Minister Modi stressed the granular approach required for national development. “We should have the aim of making each state viksit, each city viksit, each Nagar Palika viksit and each village viksit. If we work on these lines, we will not have to wait till 2047 to become Viksit Bharat,” he stated.
In a push for economic and urban development, the Prime Minister urged states to develop at least one tourist destination to global standards, equipped with all necessary facilities and infrastructure. “One State: One Global Destination. It would also lead to the development of the neighbouring cities as tourist places,” he suggested.
PM further called for the development of “future-ready cities,” with growth, innovation, and sustainability as their driving forces. He also highlighted the imperative of increasing women’s participation in the workforce, stating, “We must make laws and policies so that they can be respectfully integrated into the workforce.”