A day after the BJP’s spectacular comeback for a record third term in Haryana and a good performance in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the assembly elections result is a reflection of the good work done by the party. “People vote (for) you when you do good work for them,” Modi is said to have told his Council of Ministers in the second meeting since the NDA government came to power.
The meeting lasted for more than three hours during which Modi is said to have spoken for at least 30 minutes. The council gave him a standing ovation as he walked into the meeting, to show their appreciation for his leadership that led to the win in Haryana.
According to highly placed sources, he once again asked his colleagues in the Union Cabinet to focus on development and working for the public. He said it is only due to the power of the public that this government has been given such a mandate for the third time in a row. “Hum janata ke sevak hain (we are here to serve the people),” he told his fellow ministers.
Asking all his cabinet colleagues to work towards the same cause, the prime minister said they should visit aspirational districts for at least 48 hours to gain real-time feedback from the ground. With focus on ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, these districts and their journey will be key, he is said to have conveyed.
“A day must also be used to address the grievances of the people,” he told the council.
He further advised his council, especially the cabinet ministers, to work with the ministers of state and department officials like a team, so that work can be expedited and overall participation can be ensured. It is also learned that he told his colleagues to always keep communication lines open.
The sources told CNN-News18 that Modi further went on to say that they should dispose of requests and emails on time, which is the mark of a good minister or leader. He once again stressed that the council should apply an all-hands-on-deck approach, which will make the dream of India a developed country by 2047 a reality.
During the meeting, a detailed presentation was made on the pattern of spending in the middle classes; advantages and disadvantages of the growing use of technology; and India’s foreign policy among other topics.
Data on the spending by the public was shared with the council, which showed that in 2011-12 in rural areas this was around Rs 1,200 per person and this has now jumped to over Rs 3,000. And those who spend more than Rs 2,500 per month are now spending Rs 6,500. During the presentation, it was also shared that only 4 percent people owned vehicles but this had jumped to nearly 40 percent now.
The previous meeting, which was held at the end of September, was the first after the new cabinet took oath on June 9. This was, however, the first meeting of the Council of Ministers for new cabinet secretary, DV Somanathan, who took charge on September 30.
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