PM Narendra Modi to review schemes at NITI meeting today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may find it challenging to hardsell his flagship schemes at the fourth meeting of the Niti Aayog's Governing Council on Sunday. The PM is banking on the development schemes to steer the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Modi on Wednesday met his full council of ministers and asked them to ensure 100 per cent delivery of the schemes in the next six months. PM said that there was no time to waste and directed them to reach out to their respective electorates to speak about the government's flagship schemes. He also reviewed the progress in several programmes.

On Sunday, the PM will review states' performance in the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission, the Poshan Abhiyaan Mission and Mission Indradhanush.

A precursor to the events that will unfold in the meeting on Sunday was witnessed on Saturday with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee leading a delegation of chief ministers Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy to the house of Delhi Lieutenant General Anil Baijal to meet Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. All the leaders have said earlier that they will air their respective grievances at the Council meeting.

Naidu, who will take up issues of the Centre's non-fulfillment of assurances made in Rajya Sabha, including the issue of Special Category status to Andhra Pradesh as well as the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act, said that farmer's distress and SC/ST issues will also be taken up.