Aspirational district plan must reach block, city level, says PM
DHARAMSHALA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and said the government should strive to make these “inspirational districts” and extend the programme to block and city levels.
Launched in 2018, ADP aims to transform 112 districts that have shown relatively low progress in key social areas.
“Lauding the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme, the prime minister said the government should strive to make these the ‘inspirational districts’ of India and extend the programme to the block and city levels,” an official statement quoted Modi as saying.
The Prime Minister was chairing the first national conference of chief secretaries at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in Dharamshala when he said that India’s best young officers should be posted to the aspirational districts to bring about noticeable changes through their creative thinking and fresh ideas.
“The experience gained by them would be unparalleled and prove useful for the entire country,” he said.
The three-day conference, being held from Wednesday to Friday, aims to strengthen the partnership between the Centre and states.
Speaking on the education sector, Modi said: “Teachers’ training can be strengthened by leveraging digital technology and learning mobile apps”. “Award-winning retired school teachers could also be roped in for visiting schools and training teachers,” he added.
The Prime Minister also suggested a dedicated TV channel for teachers’ training. Competitions can be organised among young entrepreneurs across states to encourage them to create quality content in regional languages through mediums such as drama, animation and mono-acting, he said.
Strategies for ‘Aatmanirbhar Krishi’ and for a digital mission in agriculture were discussed at the conference. The need for greater Centre-state coordination for driving India’s infrastructure growth story through PM-GatiShakti was also highlighted.
During the conference, Modi appreciated the initiatives being taken by the states to improve municipal finances, a second statement, by NITI Aayog, said.
The Prime Minister said that “every state must recognise its strength, define its targets and develop a roadmap to achieve the same. This is essential for India to become a 5-trilliondollar economy.”
The participants appreciated the Prime Minister for his participation in the conference. They said that the conference has helped them get insightful suggestions and new ideas, the statement said.