"You Miss Out If...": NITI Aayog CEO As 11 Chief Ministers Skip Meet

The government's think tank NITI Aayog has asked citizens to work towards realising the goal of a "Viksit Bharat" (developed India), as its governing council met today in Delhi.

The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held with an aim to make India a developed nation by 2047.

"The Prime Minister has emphasised that since the theme is Viksit Bharat, it is essential that you can't have a vision only at the national level; you need to have a vision at the state and district level," NITI Aayog chief executive BVR Subramaniam said.

"...If you don't attend (the meeting) you miss out on the discussion, on the rich thinking. It is not as if we will boycott someone, we will work together. The government of India forms policies and it is not as if the states who didn't attend will be left out but loss is of those who don't participate," he said.

Eleven Chief Ministers skipped the NITI Aayog meeting.

The BJP said the missing Chief Ministers did not bring the voice of the people to a crucial planning meeting, where over a hundred issues were discussed.

PM Modi 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.

In his address to the Governing Council, PM Modi said it was essential to combine the vision of states and districts with the national vision to reach the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

He asked the states to take financially prudent decisions, which would make them fiscally strong and capable of undertaking programmes for the welfare of citizens.

NITI Aayog's eighth Governing Council meeting deliberated on several issues including, health, skill development, women empowerment and infrastructure development.