Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said there is a need to increase the speed of development, and if the Centre and states work together like a team, no goal is impossible.
Addressing the NITI Aayog Governing Council comprising Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors of states and Union Territories, Modi said, “We should focus on one goal, to make Bharat Viksit by 2047. 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.”
While West Bengal Chief Minister (Trinamool Congress) and Karnataka CM (Congress) held at Bharat Mandapam in New , CMs of other Opposition-ruled states including , of Punjab, Omar Abdullah of and Kashmir, and on Jharkhand attended the 10th Governing Council meeting.
Amongst other things, Prime Minister Modi said each state should develop at least one tourist destination “at par with global standards and by providing all facilities and infrastructure”, according to NITI Aayog. “One State: One Global Destination. It would also lead to development of the neighbouring cities as tourist places,” he said.
In light of rapid urbanisation, Modi also emphasised developing future-ready cities, with a focus on innovation and sustainability. In the meeting, he said the country needs to focus on increasing the participation of women in the workforce. “We must work towards the inclusion of women in our workforce. We must make laws, policies so that they can be respectfully integrated in the workforce,” he said.
The previous Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog in July 2024 was boycotted by most Opposition CMs, except West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, in protest against what they called a “discriminatory” presented days earlier. Banerjee, the lone Opposition attendee, had walked out mid-meeting, alleging she wasn’t given enough time to speak.
According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release Friday, “The 10th Governing Council meeting provides a platform to the Centre and States/Union Territories to deliberate on development challenges facing the nation and building consensus on how States can be the building blocks for making India a developed nation, i.e., Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat.”
“Measures for promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing skilling, and creating sustainable employment opportunities across the country, will also be deliberated in the meeting,” it said.
