PM MODIJI KEEN ON : 1. Agri Sector Reforms. 2. Saving Rainwater, 3. Focus on passing key Bills, 4. Budget Session, 5. All party meeting for smooth conduct of Parliament, 6. PM LETTER TO HEADS OF VILLAGE AND PANCHAYATS TO INITIATE SAVING RAIN WATER

OPINION : 17/06/2019 : 1828.

SUB : PM MODIJI KEEN ON : 1. Agri Sector Reforms. 2. Saving Rainwater, 3. Focus on passing key Bills, 4. Budget Session, 5. All party meeting for smooth conduct of Parliament, 6. PM LETTER TO HEADS OF VILLAGE AND PANCHAYATS TO INITIATE SAVING RAIN WATER

Ref : 1.  PM sets up panel on big agri sector reforms, says $5-trn economy achievable : June 15, 2019 : Sanjeeb Mukherjee & Indivjal Dhasmana : Business Standard : PMINDIA

PM Modi said global circumstances offered a unique opportunity to India to increase its economic size

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked chief ministers to increase the economic size of their respective states by 2-2.5 times to ensure $5-trillion national economy by 2024 from the current level of $2.7 trillion. This, he said, would help generate additional jobs and increase the purchasing power of the common man.

Chairing the first governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog in his second term as prime minister, Modi announced setting up of a high-powered committee on structural reforms in the distressed agriculture sector. The panel, which will also include some of the chief ministers, will examine legislative changes required for reforms. Later at a press conference, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said, "The composition of the panel will be announced in the next few days."

Gross value added in the farm sector declined by 0.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of FY19, against growth of 2.8 per cent in the previous quarter and 6.5 per cent a year ago.

During the meeting, states asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to provide for more investments in cold chains and godowns. The PM, on the other hand, called for effective steps to tackle the drought situation facing the country with the spirit of "per drop more crop".

States also asked the Centre to review the disaster management norms. “The review will be done in consultation with the home ministry and the agriculture ministry,” NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said.

NITI Aayog meet  Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and Home Minister Amit Shah at the meeting of the governing council of the NITI Aayog, in New Delhi on Saturday

The PM said global circumstances offered a unique opportunity to India to increase its economic size. He said the common man's purchasing power would increase as a result of this. He said India was establishing itself on global benchmarks such as ease of doing business. India ranked 77 in the ease of doing business report of the World Bank in 2018 against 142 when Modi took over as PM for the first time in 2014.

The PM asked each state to frame separate strategies along with district-level road map to make India a $5-trillion economy five years down the line. He called upon chief ministers to study the state's export potential and work on export promotion. He said the mining sector could provide significant employment opportunities, adding that bottlenecks in operationalisation of mines continued to exist in several States.

The PM said there might be political differences, but the people of India expected 'Team India' to take all steps to realise the aspirations of every Indian. He said the committee on agriculture would take a holistic approach on the farm sector, including allied activities. He emphasized that structural reforms in the farm sector would boost private investment, strengthen logistics and provide ample market support to farmers. He said the food processing sector should grow at a faster pace to benefit the farmers.

On flagship schemes like PM-KISAN, Modi asserted that it should reach intended beneficiaries well within time.

Sitharaman asked states to modernise agricultural produce market committee (APMC) reforms. She said subsidy on drip irrigation needed to be reviewed and raised.

The Prime Minister called upon States to review the progress of aspirational districts from time to time. He said a new model of governance needed to be established in aspirational districts. He encouraged states to identify 20 per cent most backward blocks in the state as aspirational blocks.

Modi said the newly created island development department would work on the development of about 1,300 islands. He said the country needed to prioritise and make appropriate interventions to solve its water problems. He said both water conservation and irrigation required massive efforts, based on public participation. He recalled the letter that he had recently written to all 'sarpanches' (village heads), urging them for water conservation efforts in their villages.

Modi said the aim of his new government was to provide piped water to every rural home by 2024 for which special attention had to be given to water conservation and management. He said the country was now moving towards a governance system which was characterised by 'performance, transparency and delivery'. He called for an outcome-based approach for the Ganga River Basin Authority.

On the naxalite problem, the PM said the battle against naxal violence was now in its decisive phase and it would be dealt with firmly even as development proceeded in a fast-paced and balanced manner.

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REF : 2. PM Modi writes personal letter to village pradhans on saving rainwater : Jun 15, 2019 : TOI : PMINDIA

HIGHLIGHTS :

1. In a letter to sarpanchs (village council heads), he urged them to either construct or repair water bodies in their areas to conserve rain water
2. He also urged them to join hands to build check dams and embankments along rivers and streams, clean up ponds for storage of dam water

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to heads of all village panchayats in the country urging them to conserve rain water and make it a people's movement.
In a letter to sarpanchs (village council heads), he urged them to either construct or repair water bodies in their areas to conserve rain water.

"The monsoon season is around the corner. We are fortunate that God has blessed our country with adequate rainwater. But it is our duty to respect this gift from nature... As soon as the monsoon begins, we have to make arrangements to conserve as much rainwater as possible," Modi wrote last week.

He urged them to join hands to build check dams and embankments along rivers and streams, clean up ponds for storage of dam water.

"If we are able to do this, then not only will the crop yield increase, but we will also have a large reserve of water, which we will be able to utilise for many purposes," the prime minister wrote in the letter.

He asked the sarpanchs to convene a meeting and read out his letter to the people.

"Just as you made Swachhata (cleanliness drive) a successful mass movement by making cleanliness a people's movement, I urge you to also lead this water conservation campaign and make it a people's movement as well," Modi said.

The prime minister urged them to make the "impossible possible and contribute to the creation of a New India".

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Ref : 3. With focus on passing key bills, PM Modi holds first all-party meeting ahead of budget session : 16.06.2019 : India Today 

An all-party meeting was held at the Parliament on Sunday ahead of the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose party reclaimed power at the Centre, also arrived earlier in the day for the crucial meeting.

People who attended the meeting ahead of tomorrow's budget session include Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad, TMC's Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Sudeep Bandopadhyay and Derek O'Brien and National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah.

While an all-party meet is a customary exercise before the beginning of the first parliamentary session of the year, today's meeting was essential for the Modi government, which is hoping to pass a number of bills during the session.

At the meeting, the government sought cooperation from other parties for passing key bills such as Triple Talaq as it will become invalid after the budget session, according to reports. There are several other bills that need urgent attention including the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, Citizens Amendment Bill and the Bill for Labour reforms.

Congress, TMC voice demands 

Soon after the all-party meeting concluded, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said the government was informed about some of the opposition's demands including scrutiny of bills before passage, to focus on the need for electoral reforms, the passage of women's reservation bill.

A message was also conveyed to the government to "stop interfering" in state matters. O'Brien's message makes it clear that it will not be easy for the government to get the bills passed.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue of unemployment, freedom of press, farmer distress and agrarian crisis and pressed for discussions on the same during the parliamentary session starting tomorrow.

The Budget session, which will be held from June 17 to 26, will also focus on the specifications of the full budget for the year 2019-20, which will be announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 5.

Even as the budget session begins tomorrow, opposition parties are yet to recover from the shock defeat at the hands of the NDA in Lok Sabha elections 2019.

There has been no official word on a meeting of opposition parties for better floor coordination among their members. In fact, the Congress is yet to announce its leader of the house in Lok Sabha.

As suspense continues over Congress president status, the party is yet to decide who is going to be its leader in the Lok Sabha. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP PL Punia told India Today TV, "There is still time to decide the leader of the House, it will be done by our CPP leader Sonia Gandhi soon."

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