Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi
Issues relating to agriculture and internal security with special focus on left Wing Extremism (LWE) are going to top the agenda of the fifth meeting of NITI Aayog’s Governing Council that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened on June 15.
Almost all chief ministers except West Bengal’s will attend the meeting. Banerjee has already declared that the Niti Aayog was had no financial powers to support state plans and that she would not attend the meeting.
It is learnt that the meeting will be held at theRashtrapati Bhawan’s Cultural Centre. Continuing with the special push given to farmers’ welfare by Modi 2.0, agriculture and related issues are expected to be discussed in detail. In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first cabinet meeting since his party’s huge mandate, a decision was taken to extend the PM-Kisan scheme to all farmers.
As per the agenda paper, officials in the government said, the Prime Minister intends to discuss “drought situations in the country and relief measures being taken up by the states with chief ministers of all States and Union Territories”.
“The Centre has released Rs 4,714.28 crore to Maharashtra, Rs 949.49 crore to Karnataka, Rs 900.4 crore to Andhra Pradesh, Rs 127.60 crore to Gujarat as central assistance tackle drought situations. The CMs of drought-hit States will brief the PM on the steps being taken mitigate the situation,” a senior NITI Aayog official said.
To improve farmers’ income, Modi will also discuss on the transforming agriculture-need for structural reforms with special emphasis of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act, as several states have not adopted the Act.
Integrally connected with the farm sector, the issue of water resource management would taken up in a big way with a focus on “Rain-Water Harvesting”, officials said, adding that of the total requirement “almost 90 percent” in India is met by ground water.
During the meeting the leaders will review the progress and challenges in implementing Modi government’s flagship Aspirational Districts Programme, which is being implemented in 115 identified districts across the country.
Further, the Governing Council will discuss LWE related violence as the Centre has identified 90 districts in 11 states affected by it. States are expected to present a status report on the implementation of a National Policy and Action Plan to address the problem. The plan envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security-related measures, developmental interventions and also ensuring the rights and entitlements of local communities
