Poll duty: Busy CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan unable to help group

Incidentally, Chouhan is caught with Jan Ashirvad yatra to connect with electorate in all the 230 Assembly constituencies of his state.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan pays tribute to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 114th birth anniversary, in Bhopal on Tuesday.| PTI
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan pays tribute to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 114th birth anniversary, in Bhopal on Tuesday.| PTI

NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s poll engagements are apparently delaying a key panel’s suggestions to the Centre in coordinating policy approaches for agriculture and MGNREGS
At the NITI Aayog’s fourth Governing Council meeting in June, Modi had entrusted the CMs’ panel with the task to formulate the roadmap which could soothe fraying tempers of farmers. The NITI Aayog, as a part of the exercise suggested by the panel headed by Chouhan, has held brainstorming sessions with stakeholders.

“We are ready with draft roadmap for convergence of MGNREGS with agriculture. We expected a final meeting of the CMs’ panel in August-end. But we still don’t know yet when it will happen,” said a senior Niti Aayog official. “We are trying to get the MP CM on board to hold the final meeting. But, he seems to be busy.”

Besides Chouhan, Nitish Kumar (Bihar), N Chandra Babu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), and Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim) are the other members.

Incidentally, Chouhan is caught with Jan Ashirvad yatra to connect with electorate in all the 230 Assembly constituencies of his state. He is seemingly not taking any chance for the Assembly election, given that an internal assessment of the BJP showed anti-incumbency factor. Last month too, Chouhan had sought permission from BJP chief Amit Shah to be excused for the second day of the party’s conclave, sources said.

The NITI Aayog apparently wants the CMs’ panel to address a few of the key issues since they require political answers, which may necessitate amendments in the MGNREGA either through executive or legislative route. “The topmost issue is the extent to which  MGNREGS funds could be utilised to pay for farm labour cost to bring down the input burden of farmers,” added the official.

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