With the Lok Sabha elections little more than a year away, job losses in the tech sector hurting the middle classes and food inflation pinching the poor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked his ministers to communicate his government's schemes to the people effectively, especially to the middle classes.
The meeting, the first such this year of the entire 76-member Union council of ministers, comes with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman scheduled to present the last full budget of the government's current tenure on February 1. Top bureaucrats made three presentations at the meeting, and hard copies were distributed to the participants to read and spread the message. Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba informed the meeting about the centrally sponsored schemes of the government and its initiatives in the health and education sectors. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Secretary Anurag Jain detailed the number of projects completed and the status of the remaining ones. Information and Broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra briefed about the effective use of social media platforms.
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Given the steep prices of cooking gas cylinders, wheat and wheat flour, an area of concern for the government is inflation. The meeting was told to convey to the people how the situation is much better when compared to several parts of the world, including neighbouring countries. The ministers were apprised how the Modi government has performed better in controlling inflation than the price rise the country faced at the fag end of the Congress-led UPA government in 2013-14.
While the leitmotif of his government since 2016 has been 'garib kalyan', or the welfare of the poor, the PM asked his ministers to reach out to the middle classes to explain the government's schemes and policy decisions tailored to benefit them. At the BJP's national executive meeting in mid-January, the PM stressed that only 400 days were left to the Lok Sabha polls and that they needed to hit top gear to reach out to people. At Sunday's meeting, he again highlighted the importance of effective communication.
According to sources, the PM asked ministers to reach out to not just those who have received direct benefit transfers but sections who have benefitted from the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the Jan Aushadhi Yojana. In the education sector, enrolment and retention of students have increased from primary to secondary levels, the presentation said. It noted that government school infrastructure has improved, undergraduate and postgraduate seats increased, especially the number of medical seats, IITs and IIMs.
Modi narrated to his team how an elderly woman, a beneficiary, blessed him saying that despite not knowing her children's whereabouts, it was her son in Delhi (Modi) who ensured she didn't sleep hungry (ghar ka chulha kabhi bujhne nahi diya).
The meeting comes amid speculation of an imminent cabinet reshuffle, possibly during the Budget session recess.