Arun Jaitley and Prakash Javadekar a book launch programme in Delhi on Friday. (PTI)
New Delhi:
Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, on Friday sought to project Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a leader who gives his ministers a lot of "decentralised authority".
"Contrary to what a lot of people feel, there is a lot of decentralised authority to ministers... but it is coupled with a large amount of accountability," Mr Jaitley said.
Speaking about PM Modi at the launch of two books 'Narendra Modi: The Game Changer' and 'Being Modi', Mr Jaitley said the Prime Minister is clear about the direction of his government and it may be fast and slow due to democratic reasons, but it will always move ahead and not go backwards.
The "success of Jan Dhan Yojana programme in such a short time," Mr Jaitley said, was due to PM Modi's ability to push government programmes. The numbers of bank accounts opened on the first day touched nearly 2 crore.
On a lighter note, Mr Jaitley said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet was more relaxed, one where he would have left office by 6 PM. "Nowadays, even at 9 PM, half of the ministers would be working," he said.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was at the book launch as well, hit out at reports that he was ticked off by PM Modi for wearing informal clothes while on official work abroad.
Since nobody speaks ill of PM Modi, stories are now being "invented" by the media, Mr Javadekar said.
Speaking about the Environment ministry, Mr Javadekar said it had become a "road block" and a "tax collection" ministry under the UPA government.
Several places being categorised as "no go" areas notified by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh had brought development to a halt, he said. "There is no file pending at my table and pro-development and pro-environment are not contrary things," he said.
Mr Jaitley described PM Modi as a leader who decided to communicate directly with the people, follow his own agenda, and have the ability to rewrite the script.
"Contrary to what a lot of people feel, there is a lot of decentralised authority to ministers... but it is coupled with a large amount of accountability," Mr Jaitley said.
Speaking about PM Modi at the launch of two books 'Narendra Modi: The Game Changer' and 'Being Modi', Mr Jaitley said the Prime Minister is clear about the direction of his government and it may be fast and slow due to democratic reasons, but it will always move ahead and not go backwards.
The "success of Jan Dhan Yojana programme in such a short time," Mr Jaitley said, was due to PM Modi's ability to push government programmes. The numbers of bank accounts opened on the first day touched nearly 2 crore.
On a lighter note, Mr Jaitley said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet was more relaxed, one where he would have left office by 6 PM. "Nowadays, even at 9 PM, half of the ministers would be working," he said.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was at the book launch as well, hit out at reports that he was ticked off by PM Modi for wearing informal clothes while on official work abroad.
Since nobody speaks ill of PM Modi, stories are now being "invented" by the media, Mr Javadekar said.
Speaking about the Environment ministry, Mr Javadekar said it had become a "road block" and a "tax collection" ministry under the UPA government.
Several places being categorised as "no go" areas notified by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh had brought development to a halt, he said. "There is no file pending at my table and pro-development and pro-environment are not contrary things," he said.
Mr Jaitley described PM Modi as a leader who decided to communicate directly with the people, follow his own agenda, and have the ability to rewrite the script.
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