PM laments depts settling disputes in courts

Stresses on a mechanism in the field of sports and need to tap ‘enormous potential’ of the country’s youth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged departments of the government to function in cohesion during a video conference of ministers and secretaries of tourism, culture, youth affairs and sports of the Union and state governments in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat on Friday.

The Prime Minister also expressed his disppointment over the lack of coordination among several departments. He said the departments preferred to settle disputes in courts and liked to work in silos.

“Unfortunately, the departments have the habit of working in silos. There is no coordination between departments. That is why, if one department thinks about a particular programme, the other department thinks completely opposite to it,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding, “Sometimes, two departments of the government confront each other in court to settle disputes by paying money to lawyers. This is not a healthy thing, and this needs to be changed. Departments need to sit together and and figure out their roles.”

The PM also pointed out the lack of skill development courses available for guides dealing with tourists at historical monuments

The PM said it was essential to understand the work the government was doing, particularly in the context of the changing world. “We should regularly evaluate these things,” PM Modi said. The Prime Minister also spoke about the need for a mechanism in the field of sports, as he said “every government wants to popularise games”.

“What is needed is proper mapping at the district level, so that we can understand where is our talent and where is the infrastructure need,” PM Modi added.

Stressing on the need to tap the “enormous potential” in the youth, the Prime Minister said they were at the “core” of the digital movement, which was going on in the country. The youth, the Prime Minister said, came forward and supported the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ initiative.

Speaking about opportunities relating to the tourism sector, the Prime Minister said that India was blessed with immense potential, which could draw the world to the country. “Each state should pick few destinations and create world-class tourism infrastructure and draw the world there,” the Prime Minister said, adding, “India should focus on two types of tourism — traditional and foreign.

However, the Prime Minister also pointed out the lack of skill development courses available for guides dealing with tourists at historical monuments. The PM said that despite having a large number of places promoting religious tourism, there was a lack of skill development courses.