10 CMs skip NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM Modi
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the eighth governing council meeting of Niti Aayog at the new Convention Centre in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan on Saturday.
As many as eight chief ministers including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Bhagwant Mann of Punjab, Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Ashok Gehlot of Rajathan, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah skipped the meeting citing various reasons.
Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the PM on Friday, announcing his boycott of the meeting as a protest against the Centre's recent ordinance which overturned the Supreme Court’s order on control over services. He wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Modi asking “what is the use of attending this meeting, when the Centre is openly making fun of cooperative federalism?”
The controversial ordinance by the BJP-led Centre effectively cancels a May 11 Supreme Court order that granted the Delhi government executive control over the bureaucracy.
Punjab's Bhagwant Mann has written a note to the Centre saying it's not paying attention to Punjab's interests, which is why he was boycotting the meeting. In the previous meeting, in August last year, the Chief Minister had raised the issues of Rural Development Fund (RDF), stubble burning, and farmers' concerns which he says the Centre paid no attention to.
Calling it a mere "photo session", Mann in his note has said there's no use in participating in the meeting until pending issues have been addressed.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao did not attend the Niti Aayog meeting as he would be hosting Delhi CM arvind kejriwal who is coming to Hyderabad on Saturday morning to seek support from BRS and KCR oppose the Centre’s ordinance on control of services in the national capital.
West Bengal Chief Minister Manata Banerjee had already decided that she would not attend the NITI Aayog’s governing Council meeting as the TMC government's request to send the state finance minister and the chief secretary was "turned down" by the Centre.
Bihar's Nitish Kumar and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik cited prior engagements and did not attend the meeting. While Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has cited health reasons, and Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin is on a visit to Singapore and Japan, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has not given any specific reason for his absence. Siddaramaiah did not attend the meeting as he was busy with the swearing-in programme to expand his cabinet on Saturday.
The BJP said the missing Chief Ministers did not bring the voice of the people to a crucial planning meeting, where over a hundred issues were listed to be discussed.
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"Eight Chief Ministers today did not attend the NITI Aayog meeting. NITI Aayog is very important for the development and planning of the country. 100 issues have been fixed for this meeting, and the Chief Ministers who have not come are not bringing the voice of the people of their state here. How far will you go to protest against Modi?" BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
"Eight prominent themes will be discussed during the day-long meeting including Viksit Bharat@2047, thrust on MSMEs, infrastructure and investments, minimising compliances, women empowerment, health and nutrition, skill development, gati shakti for area development and social infrastructure, the NITI Aayog stated.
The theme for the meeting this time is 'Viksit Bharat @2047: Role of Team India'.
"Roadmap to be laid down on following issues: Viksit Bharat@2047, (ii) Thrust on MSMEs, (iii) Infrastructure and Investments, (iv) Minimising Compliances, (v) Women Empowerment, (vi) Health and Nutrition, (vii) Skill Development, and (viii) Gati Shakti for area development and social infrastructure. People of the states whose CMs boycott the meeting will not be able to reap the benefits of discussions and decisions on minimising compliances, Gatishakti, modern infrastructure, MSMEs, and Skill Development. There is a rich legacy of action taken and citizen welfare from the roadmap laid down by previous GC meetings," Government sources said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has said if non-BJP Chief Ministers are boycotting the meeting, it means the Centre is not treating them properly. "Whoever is not obeying the Centre, the NITI Aayog is not listening to their demands," he said.
As the chairman of NITI Aayog, PM Modi will deliberate on issues related to health, skill development, women empowerment and infrastructure development, with an aim to make India a developed nation by 2047.
