Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Ministry Officials To Brainstorm Ideas In Hampi

Over 150 officials from the Finance Ministry led by Nirmala Sitharaman will visit Karnataka's Hampi for two days beginning tomorrow to brainstorm India's economic agenda, sources said.

The highlight of the meeting will be an open and frank discussion on the country's economy. Apart from Union Finance Minister Sitharaman, joint secretaries and other senior officials are coming to Hampi.

The sessions will be divided into various segments to focus on economic reforms and the current economic system. The most significant aspect of this brainstorming session is that discussions will transcend hierarchical boundaries. This means that any official can ask questions, offer suggestions, and freely express their disagreements, sources said.

Economic experts associated with the government are invited. They include three experts, one of whom is the chief economic adviser. They will give presentations on the current state of the economy in different sessions. Finance Ministry officials will be able to directly interact with them and ask questions.

Karnataka is Sitharaman's Rajya Sabha constituency. One of the reasons for holding the brainstorming session in Hampi is that she wants to familiarise her ministry officials with the rich history of this beautiful place, sources said.

All the participants will be given a tour of Hampi on Saturday and Sunday. The programme has been designed in such a way that officials can visit whichever places they wish. Local cuisine has been given preference in the meals to showcase the state's rich culinary traditions.

According to a senior official of the Ministry of Finance, the objective of this session is to have a healthy, meaningful, and independent discussion on current issues. Such discussions help in refining economic policies.

According to him, a similar brainstorming session was previously held in Kevadia, Gujarat. Organising such sessions helps in strengthening communication, cooperation, coordination, and trust among the officials.