The BJP on Saturday lashed out at chief ministers who boycotted the NITI Aayog’s governing council meeting, calling their decision as anti-people and irresponsible.
The meeting focused on various important topics such as healthcare, skill development, women empowerment, and infrastructure development. The objective of these discussions is to work towards transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.
Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the NITI Aayog is a key body for determining the entire objective, policy framework and roadmap for the development of the country.
He said as many as 100 issues are proposed to be discussed in the eighth governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog but chief ministers of eight states are not coming to attend it.
Prasad said chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, M K Stalin, K Chandrashekar Rao are among those not attending the meet.
“I have been told that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is also not coming, perhaps due to health reasons. What is the truth will come from his side, but there is no representation (at the meeting) on his behalf,” he said.
The BJP leader said Niti Aayog is a very important forum to have a wide-ranging consultative process among the Centre, states and and Union Territories and key decisions are taken at its governing council meeting for their implementation on the ground.
That’s why the Prime Minister presides over this meeting and senior ministers from the Centre also attend it so that decisions are taken on larger issues with suggestions of the chief ministers for their implementation on the ground, he added.