In a first, CMs of all 28 states attend Modi’s Niti Aayog meet
The meeting also saw the attendance of newly-elected CMs of Kerala, TN, Bengal and Karnataka as well as of Opposition-ruled states
In a first, the Niti Aayog’s Governing Council meeting on Thursday (June 11) saw the attendance of chief ministers of all the 28 states of the country.
It was the first time the 11th edition of the meeting didn’t face any boycotts or absences and saw a cordial and friendly atmosphere as chief ministers across party lines joined the discussion on various issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and key cabinet ministers.
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Reports quoting officials said that the discussions at the meeting mostly focused on developmental issues and no political friction was seen during the deliberations.
CMs of Opposition-ruled states attend
It was also the first time the newly-elected chief ministers of Tamil Nadu (C Joseph Vijay), Karnataka (DK Shivakumar), West Bengal (Suvendu Adhikari) and Kerala (VD Satheesan) attended the meeting.
The meeting also saw the attendance of chief ministers from Opposition-ruled states including Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab.
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Karnataka’s newly-elected Chief Minister Shivakumar’s attendance marked a shift in the earlier Congress government’s boycott of NITI Aayog meetings.
States such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka earlier skipped Niti Aayog meetings over difference of opinion on various issues. In 2024, at least 10 chief ministers had given the meeting a miss while the number was nine the year before.
Stress on Viksit Bharat
During Thursday’s meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on emphasised that India cannot become Viksit Bharat without all states becoming developed, and stressed the importance of ease of doing business to attract investments.
Briefing the media about the day-long meeting, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairperson Ashok Kumar Lahiri said the discussions focused on the 'Inclusive Human Development Framework'.
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The prime minister, as well as the chief ministers, spoke on various aspects related to energy security, including rooftop solar energy, he said.
Responding to a question, Lahiri said the Prime Minister, chief ministers and the other members of the Governing Council are aware that India needs planned urbanisation.
Niti Ayog officials, according to reports, said that 20 states have already prepared the roadmap for the Viksit Bharat vision for their state while the same is expected from 10 months.