New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted during the first meeting of the Niti Aayog’s governing council that India cannot advance without all its states advancing in tandem.
The Prime Minister said the idea of “Team India” was to bring up all states together in the spirit of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”.
Later briefing reporters, finance minister Arun Jaitley said that Modi told the CMs that “the priorities are growth, investment, jobs, poverty alleviation, decentralisation, efficiency and no delay in the execution of projects”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped the meet, but Bihar CM Jitan Manjhi, who is facing political turmoil back home, was present. States like Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh demanded more funds for states, while Kerala sought greater flexibility in Central allocations.
The interaction during the governing council meeting was coordinated by Mr Jaitley, while opening rem-ar-ks were made by Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya.
