Modi asks ministers to push the pedal on development

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega review meeting of all the 56 ministries on Saturday at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, Chanakyapuri here. The second council of ministers meeting of the Modi government started at 10.30 a.m. and concluded at 6 p.m.

Talking about the meeting, a senior officer told IANS: "If you give 10 minutes to every 56 ministries to give a presentation, then it would take 560 minutes for all the ministries to share their presentations which is 9 hours including lunch timings. Hence, to review the work of all the ministries you need to have a 7-8 hours long meeting."

All the ministers were present at the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra before PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived at 10.30 a.m.

Sources said that the ministries linked to each other were put in one group. This way, ministries such as Agriculture, Rural Development, Jal Shakti, Food and Consumer Affairs were in one group whereas Home and Defence were in one and similarly Finance and Commerce were in one and Labour and Skill Development were in one group.

In the meeting, Modi made the ministers understand their responsibility towards the public as he said the public has given us the mandate so that we deliver on the promises made. Each file should move from every counter. Work needs to be expedited.

Apart from reviewing the last six months' progress report of all the ministries he also discussed future plans. He even took suggestions from all the ministers about the ongoing economic slowdown in the country and the budget to be presented in February.

Sources said that the review meeting was held on some basic points like what all works were taken up by the ministries in the last six months especially regarding the schemes which are on priority?

The Prime Minister took stock of all the public welfare schemes which are going on under Mission 2022.

Initiatives like doubling the farmers' income, tap water to every household, Housing for All, Ayushman Bharat, livestock vaccination scheme etc were reviewed.

It is also expected that after the review meeting, a cabinet reshuffle might take place. The burden of several ministers, holding multiple portfolios, might be lessened whereas the non-performing ministers might be replaced.

BY NAVNEET MISHRA