PM addressed first Governing Council meeting of NITI Ayog , three sub-groups of CM to study 66 centrally sponsored schemes

Feb 8, New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday announced the constitution of three sub-groups of Chief Ministers within NITI Aayog.
Presiding over the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi Prime Minister said the first sub-group will study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and recommend which schemes should continue, which should be transferred to states, and which to discontinue.

He said that the second sub-group will focus on skill development and creation of skilled manpower within states. The third sub-group will decide on the institutional mechanisms to be evolved for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, so that cleanliness becomes a part of life in perpetuity.

The Prime Minister also asked all the states to create two task forces under the aegis of the NITI Aayog, one to focus on poverty alleviation, and the other to focus on future development of agriculture in the states. He also requested Chief Ministers to give personal attention to factors that slow down projects.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Prime Minister laid stress on growth, investment, decentralisation and poverty alleviation in the meeting.
He said the Prime Minister also stressed on the role of the states and emphasised how Jan Dhan Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan had become successful with cooperation of the states.

The Finance Minister said that by and large, the states have been supportive of the idea of decentralisation of government schemes.

As many as 31 states participated in the meeting. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Lt Governors of Andaman and Nicobar and Delhi, and the Chief Ministers of the rest of the states participated in the meeting.