In his second cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out a 10-point policy agenda for the government as well as asked his ministers to list priorities for a 100-day plan.
"He asked the ministers to set a timetable for the first 100 days listing the priorities," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters after the meeting of the Union cabinet, which met to finalise the dates for the first Parliament session of the 16th Lok Sabha.
Over the next few days, Modi will meet the ministers and the secretaries separately to discuss their 100-day plan. In the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasised on governance, delivery and implementation of schemes, Naidu said.
Modi had made "maximum governance and minimum government" the theme of his campaign in the run-up to the 2014 general election. His topmost priority is to build confidence in bureaucracy as he knows that the government's success or failure depends on how it delivers and that is why his second priority is also to give freedom of work to babus and welcome innovative ideas from them.
Modi, who was himself a chief minister till recently, also told his cabinet colleagues to give importance to state government representations and respond to them immediately, saying that in a real federal system, the Centre should take the states along. As a chief minister, Modi is aware of the problems that state governments face if the government at the Centre is indifferent.
The Prime Minister, who convened the second cabinet meeting in three days, will have meetings separately with the ministers and secretaries. Modi wants pending issues to be addressed on a priority basis and has asked the ministers to take the ministers of state into confidence.
On the question of leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Naidu said the government was examining the various precedence and will take a call at an appropriate time.
Modi's 10-point vision focuses on economic growth with reforms in infrastructure and "people-oriented" governance besides prioritising education, energy and water. The list also included building confidence in the bureaucracy and empowering it.
The PM's message to the ministers was clear: Proposals from the state governments will be given importance as he wants "quick ministerial response" in such matters as he does not want any complaints from the states on the Centre sitting on their demands.
The agenda came in for praise from the PHD Chamber, which said it would go a long way in ensuring a "strong, stable and inclusive India".
In a statement, Sharad Jaipuria, President, PHD Chamber, said it would improve the business environment and help industry rejuvenate and expand. "The improvement in industry scenario will increase employability of manufacturing firms and would lead to job creation in the economy," he said.
Jaipuria said there was need to check the effectiveness of various ongoing socio-economic development programmes and define their deliverables in a time-bound manner. He sought a single-window clearance system at the Centre and at the state level for investment projects.
10-point agenda
Remove hurdles in economic growth
Prioritise education, energy and water
Bring in reforms in infrastructure
Provide people-oriented government and governance
Ensure time-bound implementation of policy
Maintain consistency in policy
Promote e-auctioning in government tenders
Improve inter-ministerial co-ordination
Build confidence in the bureaucracy
Empower and provide freedom to bureaucracy
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}