Priority & approach matter a lot in governance : PM Modi

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi on July 10, 2017, interacted with Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories. This interaction was part of the national conference of Chief Secretaries on the theme of “States as Drivers for Transforming India.” This is the first time, that the Prime Minister has addressed such a gathering at such an event. Chief Secretaries spoke briefly on one best practice each of their respective states.

The best practices presented by the Chief Secretaries included themes such as rural development, skill development, crop insurance, health insurance, tertiary healthcare, welfare of divyang children, reducing infant mortality, tribal welfare, solid waste management, sanitation, drinking water, river conservation, water management, e-governance, pension reform, emergency services, development of mineral-rich areas, PDS reform, Direct Benefit Transfer of subsidy, solar energy, cluster development, good governance and ease of doing business, according to a PIB release.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said priority and approach, matter a lot in governance. He said top government officials have the collective vision and capabilities to overcome challenges. In this regard, experience sharing is very important, he added. He said a team of young officers from across the states should now deliberate and learn from these best practices by visiting each state. These will help in efficient adoption of best practices across the states.

The Prime Minister asked officers to ever remain mindful of the credo of ‘competitive cooperative federalism.’ He said districts and cities must also be part of a virtuous competitive environment of development and good governance. He said the successes of small States and Union Territories, could be replicated by large states in one district to begin with. In this regard he mentioned Haryana and Chandigarh becoming kerosene-free, according to the PIB release.

The Prime Minister gave the example of monthly PRAGATI meetings, which had given a decisive push to many long-pending projects. He urged states to come out of the silos and work cohesively with the Centre and which each other.

The Prime Minister said the whole world today has trust in India, has expectations from India, and wants to partner with India. He said this is a golden opportunity for us. He said “ease of doing business” should be accorded top priority and would greatly help states in attracting investment. The Prime Minister said improvement in “ease of doing business” would bring in greater investment in the states.

The Prime Minister recalled his initial days as Chief Minister of Gujarat, and the work of post-earthquake reconstruction in Kutch. He praised the work of officers who worked as a team and put in a dedicated effort in those days. In this context, he also mentioned the importance of removing archaic laws and rules. Speaking on the agriculture sector, the Prime Minister said the use of technology was imperative. He stressed on eliminating wastage in farm produce and focus on food processing.

The PM said the use of Aadhaar has brought benefit all around and eliminated leakages. He urged all present to maximize its use in the interest of good governance. He said Government e-Marketplace (GeM) could provide efficiency, savings and transparency in government procurement. He asked all state governments to maximize the use of GeM by August 15, 2017, according to the PIB release. Speaking on “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”, he said we must always recall the factors which unite us. He urged all Chief Secretaries to work on this scheme.