Urging states to provide an investor-friendly environment, PM Narendra Modi asked govt think tank Niti Aayog to prepare an “investment-friendly charter” of parameters which would include policies, programmes and processes for attracting investments.
Modi said states may be monitored on the achievement of the parameters to promote healthy competition among them for attracting investments.
Speaking at the 9th governing council meeting of Niti Aayog, he underscored the importance of law and order, good governance and infrastructure as vital for attracting investments, rather than just incentives. The meeting was attended by 20 states and 6 Union Territories while some opposition ruled states opted out.
“Viksit Bharat in 2047 is an ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role to achieve this aim as they are directly connected with the people,” the PM said, asserting that that the aspiration of Viksit Bharat should reach the grassroot level and to each district, block, and village. He said the dream of Viksit Bharat can be realised only if the states also develop, and exhorted them to prepare a vision for 2047 for themselves and their districts.
This was the first meeting of the reconstituted council and the PM expressed confidence that India is progressing on the path to fulfil the vision of a developed nation in 2047 through the power of cooperative federalism. Continuing the govt’s focus on jobs, the PM emphasised skilling and training of youth to make them employment-ready as the world looks favourably towards India for skilled human resources.
Modi said that this is the decade of change which brings a lot of opportunities across sectors and encouraged states to utilise them and make policies and initiate governance programmes that are conducive for development through innovative approaches in policy-making and execution.
Mamata walks out
A controversy erupted when West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee walked out of a Niti Aayog meeting, alleging her microphone was “switched off after five minutes”, a claim refuted by govt, with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman stating every CM was given their “due time” to speak.
Mamata, after storming out of the meeting, told reporters, “At the beginning, Rajnath ji had said ‘five to seven minutes’... I was not allowed even (those) seven minutes. I would have completed all that I had to say, even if the seven minutes were allowed. But they rang the bell at five minutes, and I said, okay then I shall leave... and I left.”
“I was the only one (from opposition-governed states) present there; they should have allotted at least half-an hour for me... and I am not an irresponsible person that I will not maintain my time,” she added.
She further said, “Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh CM) presented his views for 20 minutes and CMs of Assam, Arunachal, Chhattisgarh and Goa also presented their views for 15, 16, 17, 20 minutes. But I spoke only for five minutes, and people started interrupting me by ringing the bell. I said, okay, you don’t want to listen to Bengal, and I boycotted the meeting and left.”
