Important measures needed for economic growth rate to reach double digits, says PM Modi at Niti Aayog council meet

The prime minister also assured the chief ministers of flood-affected states of providing all central assistance to deal with the situation.

In his opening remarks at the fourth meeting of the Niti Aayog Governing Council on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the challenge now before the government was to take the economic growth rate to double digits, for which many important steps would have to be taken.

The prime minister also assured the chief ministers of flood-affected states of providing all central assistance to deal with the situation.

Modi observed that the Indian economy had grown at a healthy rate of 7.7% in the fourth quarter of 2017-18 and said the challenge was to take this growth rate to double digits. These steps, Modi said, were essential to achieve the vision of New India by 2020.

The prime minister said the Governing Council was a platform that could bring about “historic change” in the development of the country.

Modi further said the council has approached complex issues of governance as “Team India”, in the spirit of cooperative, competitive federalism.

The prime minister said chief ministers of states had played a key role in policy formulation, through sub-groups and committees on issues such as Swachh Bharat Mission, Digital Transactions and Skill Development. The recommendations of these sub-groups have been incorporated by various ministries of the Union government, he added.

He said 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres were being constructed under the Ayushman Bharat programme. “About 10 crore families will be provided with health assurance worth Rs 5 lakh every year.”

A comprehensive approach was being adopted for education under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Modi added.

Observing that schemes such as Mudra Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana and Stand Up India were helping in greater financial inclusion, the prime minister said it was imperative to tackle economic imbalances on priority.

He said all aspects and parameters of human development need to be addressed and improved upon in the 115 aspirational districts.

The Gram Swaraj Abhiyan has emerged as a new model for implementation of schemes, he said, adding that it has been extended to 45,000 villages in the aspirational districts.

“India has no shortage of capabilities, capacities and resources and in the current financial year, the states would receive over Rs 11 lakh crore from the Centre, which is an increase of about Rs 6 lakh crore from the last year of the previous government,” Modi said during the meeting.

The day-long Governing Council meeting is being attended by chief ministers, several union ministers and Niti Aayog officials.

The conference among other things would deliberate on issues like doubling of farmers’ income, development of aspirational districts, Ayushman Bharat, Mission Indradhanush, Nutrition Mission and celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.