Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said his government was focussing on infrastructure development as connectivity was important for progress and was working at removing speed breakers put in the way of projects by the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation.
Talking to reporters in Delhi after attending the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister said the vision for 2047, when the country completes 100 years of Independence, was discussed.
The focus will be on employment, self-employment, women's empowerment, education, health etc, he said, adding that development gets expedited when "the state and Union governments are of one ideology". "We have expedited development projects on war footing and project implementation is being closely monitored," Shinde said.
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Asserting that the response of the prime minister was positive to the development issues and suggestions of Maharashtra, Shinde said his government was also working on access-controlled highways to connect various cities. Criticising those chief ministers who did not attend the NITI Aayog meeting, Shinde said people they represent and their states have to suffer due to such moves.
He slammed opposition parties for boycotting Sunday's inauguration of the new Parliament building by PM Modi. "The Parliament is not about any party. It is unfortunate that hatred for PM Modi is bringing such parties together. They should set aside their egos and hatred for the PM and take part in the inauguration event," Shinde said.
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Shinde added that Modi would be re-elected for a third term as prime minister in 2024 with a record mandate. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said some chief ministers not attending the NITI Aayog meeting means the Union government and the NITI Aayog were not behaving properly with these states.
"They are unhappy... (Delhi Chief minister Arvind) Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief minister Mamata ji (Bannerjee) have boycotted it. Those who do not resort to sycophancy, the NITI Aayog does not meet their demands. Everyone knows this," Raut alleged.
Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal (Dehi), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), M K Stalin (Tamil Nadu), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana) and Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) did not attend the meeting.
Addressing the eighth Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the states and districts to develop a long-term vision to make India a developed country by 2047, when the country completes 100 years of Independence.
Modi also urged the states to take financially prudent decisions which are capable of delivering programmes that meet the aspirations of the people. Briefing media about the deliberations of the meeting, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said 11 chief ministers did not attend the Governing Council meeting.
