Prime Minister's national conference of chief secretaries concluded today. Several officials from the states and union territories, as well as Union ministries, attended the conference, including young district collectors and magistrates. On the third day, there were sessions on improving access to and quality of higher education, as well as improving urban governance through urban planning and municipal finance.
Discussions also took place about the need for greater Centre-state coordination to ensure the saturation of government schemes, last-mile delivery, and civil servant capacity building through Mission Karamayogi.
The Prime Minister praised the lengthy sessions, saying they were useful in laying out a roadmap for the sectors. He emphasized that the Centre and the states work as Team India. He stated that the action points and new ideas discussed at the conference must be implemented as soon as possible.
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of ensuring greater ease of living in India by emphasizing minimal government and maximum governance. He also stated that minor offenses should be decriminalized in mission mode.
He stated that states must make the best use of the GeM portal for purchases made by their departments and local governments in order to save time and money.
The Prime Minister also discussed the use of drones in the service industry, such as the delivery of essential drugs or horticultural products, particularly in hilly areas, which would provide farmers and service providers with more economic value.
The Prime Minister urged that all vacancies in state government departments be filled, and that states identify and fill such vacancies in each sector. The Prime Minister stated that in order to achieve the goals of the National Education Policy, states must try to integrate anganwadis with primary schools.
The Prime Minister praised the states for their efforts to improve municipal finances. He stated that the states and UTs have shared unique experiences and that the conference ideas must be incubated and institutionalized. He advocated for the use of technology and innovative methods to improve the efficiency of tax collection. He also proposed that states hold city and ward beautification competitions.
According to the Prime Minister, each state must recognize its own strengths, define its goals, and devise a strategy to achieve them. This is critical if India is to become a $5 trillion economy.
Urban areas will be critical in terms of future development and job creation. As a result, he believes that urban local governments must be strengthened and that urban planning must be done creatively.
The Prime Minister stated that the PM-GatiShakti should be properly implemented in order to attract investment in the country. He emphasized the importance of improving the use of technology in all government schemes and programmes, as well as creating interoperability between the Centre and states' datasets.
All new ideas and actionable points, he said, must be taken forward, incubated, and institutionalized. According to him, the need of the hour is to perform, reform, and transform.
The participants thanked the Prime Minister for attending the conference. They praised the Prime Minister for attending various sessions of the conference in the true spirit of Team India. Participants also stated that the conference provided them with useful suggestions and new ideas.
Following careful consideration, recommendations for work in agriculture, education, and urban governance were made. Innovative ideas and best practices for improving citizen welfare were discussed. This collaborative effort between the Centre and the states will be carried forward by finalizing the roadmap for these three sectors at the Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog.
