NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday, June 15. Drought situation, security concerns of Naxal-affected districts and agrarian crisis are some the top agendas of this meet. The meeting will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
According to a statement, discussions on the following are high on the meeting agenda:
*Rain-water harvesting
*Drought situation and relief measures
*Aspirational districts programme – achievements and challenges
*Transforming agriculture: Need for structural reforms with special emphasis on: Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act
*Essential Commodities Act (ECA)
*Security related issues with specific focus on LWE (Left Wing Extremism) districts
The meeting will be attended by several state chief ministers, Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, union ministers and senior government officials.
This will be the first governing council meeting under the new Modi government.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, last week announced that she will not attend the upcoming meeting of government's policy think tank NITI Aayog since it has no power to support states.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 7, she says, “NITI Aayog was formed with no financial powers. It lacks the power of supporting the annual plan of states as there no financial powers with Niti Aayog.”
“It is fruitless to attend the meeting,” she added.
Headed by the Prime Minister, the NITI Aayog Governing Council includes ministers of Finance, Home, Defence, Agriculture, Commerce and Rural Development, besides state chief ministers and the think tank's vice chairman, CEO and members.
The first meeting the Governing Council was held on February 8, 2015. This will be the fifth meet of the council.
