This Article is From Aug 29, 2013
National Development Council meet today
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in a lighter mood with his political adversaries at the 57th National Development Council (NDC) meeting in New Delhi. He is seen in this picture with Defence Minister AK Antony, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
Fresh from his victory in Gujarat Assembly Elections, this was Chief Minister Narendra Modi's first encounter with the Centre at the National Development Council (NDC) meet in Delhi today. In this picture, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is seen congratulating Mr Modi.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla rejected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's charge that non-Congress ruled states were discriminated against at the National Development Council (NDC) meet.
Here are the highlights of what Mr Shukla said:
- The Prime Minister showed a gesture by giving an opportunity to her to speak first, immediately after his speech, though her turn was to come much later. The time alloted to each Chief Minister is precisely 10 minutes.
- The same arrangement has been made for Chief Ministers of Congress and non-Congress ruled states. The buzzer is being pressed even for the Congress Chief Ministers. So where is the discrimination? The leaders should not make political capital out of such events.
At chief ministers' meet, PM raises 'Amanat' caseThe issue of safety and security of women was of the highest priority, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today at the chief ministers' meet in Delhi and asked them to pay special attention to this issue.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the meeting of the National Development Council in New Delhi.
Here are the highlights of his speech:
- Our first priority is to reverse this slowdown
- Achieved 7.8 per cent growth in 11th Plan despite slowdowns
- This growth was much more inclusive as compared to earlier plans
- Better agriculture growth is a reason for faster decline in poverty
- Poverty declined faster and this will hold even if poverty line is revised
- We cannot change the global economy
- But we can do something about the domestic constraints that have impacted growth
- We need to pay special attention to the disparities in our country
- While we need to accelerate growth it is not the end goal
- We need to enrich the life of the aam admi
- Rapid growth is necessary to push inclusiveness
- We have to fast track large projects and resolve issues related to fuel supply
- Agriculture's contribution to GDP has fallen to 15 per cent but a large number of population still depends on agriculture
- We need to move people out of agriculture and give them more gainful employment elsewhere
- Growth in manufacturing should be in double digits
- Better infrastructure must for economic growth
- India has the second-largest number of PPP (public-private partnership) projects
- Resource constraint is a major bottleneck for infrastructure development
- Centre to step up investments in infrastructure of North-Eastern states
- GDP growth in several North-East states is higher than the national average