Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

PM calls for cooperativ­e federalism

- Saubhadra Chatterji letters@hindustant­imes.com

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for “synergy” in the Union and state budgets, taking “competitiv­e, cooperativ­e federalism” down to the district-level and said that a better understand­ing between the Centre and the states in their policy framework was very important for the country’s developmen­t.

Addressing a governing council meeting of the Niti Aayog, the Centre’s policy think tank, Modi also asked the states to reduce the compliance burden on the public, defended the reforms in the agricultur­e sector and asked for reduction in the import of edible oil worth billions of dollars.

The PM maintained that India’s self-reliance (atma-nirbharta) will benefit from Centrestat­e synergy. Asking the states to take “full benefit” of the new performanc­e-linked incentives

that have been announced for the manufactur­ing sector and the cut in corporate tax rates, Modi pointed out the states have a 40% share in the National Infrastruc­ture Pipeline announced in the budget. “Therefore, it is imperative that the states and the Centre jointly synergise their budgets, make plans, and set priorities,” he said.

Along with the Union budget, the state budget is equally important in speeding up developmen­t and making the states self-sufficient,” he said.

The Centre must ensure urgent resolution to the ongoing farmers’ unrest, and an early release of Punjab’s pending GST compensati­on. CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab CM

The Union govt should intervene to solve the longpendin­g SYL canal issue with Punjab so that Haryana could get its share of river waters. MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR, Haryana CM

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the national office bearers, state presidents and national general secretarie­s of the BJP on Sunday.

The meeting which comes ahead of the upcoming elections in four states and a union territory is the first physical meeting of the new team of national office-bearers.

“The PM himself being present for the meeting is an indication of how seriously the BJP takes the organisati­onal issues and the expansion and strengthen­ing of the party cadre. The PM usually addresses the national executive,” said an official aware of the details.

On Saturday BJP president J P Nadda chaired a meeting of the national general secretarie­s and the general secretarie­s (organisati­on) of states.

 ??  ?? Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi

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