Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog today at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. The theme for this year’s meeting was ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’, focusing on transforming India into a developed nation by the year 2047.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the high-profile attendees at the meeting. Chief Ministers from various BJP-ruled states also participated. In a notable development, several Opposition CMs, including those from Congress-ruled states and the DMK, boycotted the event. Despite the boycott, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee attended, advocating for the restoration of the Planning Commission.
The meeting centered on discussing the Approach Paper for the Vision Document on Viksit Bharat @2047, emphasizing participative governance and collaboration between the Centre and State Governments. The agenda included enhancing the quality of life for both rural and urban populations by improving the delivery mechanisms of government interventions.
A key focus was on the role of states in achieving the goal of making India a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047. Detailed deliberations also included the recommendations from the 3rd National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in December 2023. Special sessions covered topics like cybersecurity, the aspirational districts and blocks program, the role of states, and the integration of AI in governance.
Opposition leaders expressed their reasons for boycotting the meeting. Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), and Revanth Reddy (Telangana) cited alleged bias in the Union Budget against their states. Other boycotting leaders included Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, and leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab and Delhi governments.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticized the NITI Aayog, calling for its scrapping in favor of the Planning Commission, a sentiment echoed by other opposition leaders like BJD MP Sasmit Patra, who accused the Centre of denying states their rightful share in the Budget. JMM MP Mahua Maji indicated that her party would decide its stance based on the state’s interests.
The absence of key opposition leaders highlighted the growing rift between the Centre and several state governments, underlining the complex dynamics in Indian federal governance.
