Cooperative Federalism Foundation Of India's Progress, Says PM At Meet With CMs, UT Heads

Cooperative federalism is the foundation of India’s progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the Governing Council of NITI Aayog.

Attended by 26 Chief Ministers, three Lieutenant Governors and two Administrators apart from Union Ministers among others, the sixth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog was held in the capital under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister via video conferencing.

Cooperative and competitive federalism should be made more effective and taken to the district level, Modi said and added the country succeeded in managing the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic only because the Centre and the States worked together in a spirit of partnership.

As India stands close to completing 75 years of Independence, this Governing Council meeting assumes even more significance as it provides an opportunity to brainstorm and further strengthen cooperative and competitive federalism, which are essential pillars for successful achievement of the national aspirations, the Prime Minister said.

Pointing out that several concerted steps have been taken to empower the poor and bring about a noticeable change in their lives, the Prime Minister said since 2014, more than 2 crore 40 lakh houses have been constructed in both cities and villages.

Similarly, over 3.5 lakh rural houses have been provided with piped drinking water within 18 months of the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission. He added that the Bharat Net Scheme for internet connectivity in villages is bringing about a transformational change.

He said the Centre and States should work more closely on such schemes to improve ease of living for our citizens.

Referring to the positive response to this year’s Union Budget, he said it reflects the mood of the nation and there is an all-round eagerness to push forward with economic development.

He added that the private sector was coming forward with enthusiasm in the development journey of the country, and the government must honour this enthusiasm by ensuring opportunities for the private investors to capitalise on the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.

He added that the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan is a step towards providing opportunities to everyone — to fulfil not only our own needs but also cater to the global demand for goods and services.

Emphasising on strengthening MSMEs and start-ups, he said every State, every district, has its unique strengths and added that products should be shortlisted from every district and promoted — this will create healthy competition among all districts and States, which will help in boosting our exports.

He said that the Aspirational Districts Programme implemented in partnership with States holds a unique example in this regard.

In his welcome remarks, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, said that this forum enables the identification of key strategies for cohesive action.

He reaffirmed NITI Aayog’s commitment to work tirelessly with States and Union Territories in the spirit of cooperative federalism. He added that national progress is contingent on the growth of all States/UTs.

The Council deliberated on several steps for making India a manufacturing powerhouse, such as reducing compliance burden, initiating reforms at the State level, improving logistics, promoting exports through district-level competition and creating jobs.

He stated that the Sixth Governing Council Meeting was unique as it brought together the country’s highest decision-makers on one platform.