NEW DELHI: Chairing a meeting of the ninth governing council of NITI Aayog on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the ambitious goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ could be realised only if the states are developed.
Noting that turning states into “Viksit states” for achieving the national goal, NITI Aayog’s CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, quoting the PM, said that he highlighted three major targets: strive for ‘zero poverty’, an investor-friendly charter, and set up a river grid.
The PM also asserted that India was progressing in the right direction after overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have defeated a once-in-100-year pandemic. Our people are full of energy, enthusiasm and confidence. We can fulfill our dreams of Viksit Bharat 2047 with the combined effort of all states. Viksit states will make Viksit Bharat,” Modi said, while stressing that the vision of a developed India by 2047 was shared by every Indian and highlighted the crucial role of states.
“Viksit Bharat 2047 is the ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role in achieving this aim as they are directly connected with the people,” the CEO quoted the PM as saying in the meeting.
On ‘Zero-Poverty’, the Prime Minister emphasised that the states need to tackle poverty on an individual basis rather than just at a programme level and suggested that removing poverty from the grassroots would bring about a transformational effect in the country.
The CEO said, “The Prime Minister asked the NITI Aayog to prepare an index to allow the states to compete in attracting foreign direct investment and also make efforts to strengthen districts to turn them into drivers of growth.”
“The states may be monitored on the achievement as per the index to promote healthy competition among them for attracting investments. He also underscored the importance of law and order, good governance and infrastructure as vital for attracting investments, rather than just incentives,” the CEO said.
“This is the decade of change, technological and geopolitical, and also of opportunities. India should grab these opportunities and make our policies conducive to international investments. This is the stepping stone for progress to make India a developed nation,” the PM said.
Talking about ‘demographic management’, the CEO quoted the PM as saying that India needed to formulate a strategy to deal with its rapidly ageing population. He asked the states to take up capacity building of government officials at all levels and encourage them to collaborate with the Capacity Building Commission.
The PM also encouraged the creation of a river grid at state-level for effective utilisation of water resources.
