Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs Council of Ministers meet; focus on social sector, infrastructure

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged ministers and bureaucrats to hold extensive consultations to ensure the effective rollout of policies, particularly social initiatives aimed at alleviating the problems faced by women and the poor, sources said.

During a five-hour meeting with his entire Council of Ministers, Modi specifically asked for faster and better communication of the government's decisions. He also asked for responses to be expedited on social media so that his government is seen as responsive, they said.

Outgoing cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba made a presentation on the key decisions of the government since it assumed office in June for the third consecutive term while officials made detailed presentations on the infrastructure envisioned for 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 and improving skilling among the youth.

The prime minister told the ministers and top bureaucrats that the government has delivered over the last 10 years and will continue to work at the same pace for the next five years.

Modi told the ministers and officials he has assured the people that the development will continue at the same pace as in the last decade because of the trust he had in them.

He also urged the ministers to make optimum use of the Gatishakti platform and Mission Karmayogi to achieve goals set for infrastructure and skilling sectors respectively.

Keeping its focus on infrastructure development, the NDA government has approved projects worth more than Rs 2.30 lakh for building new railway lines, ports, airports, and industrial smart cities to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Budget announcements and completion of projects were also discussed during the meeting held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan here.

A senior official from the education ministry made a presentation on the skilling roadmap for developed India by 2047.

The meeting also took stock of the progress made on the first 100-day agenda of the third term of the BJP-led NDA government.

Measures for the four castes -- women, poor, youth and farmers -- were stressed during the meeting that was also attended by secretaries of various government departments.

A key thrust of the meeting was on spreading awareness about new schemes and policy decisions made since the government assumed office in June, including the new infrastructure projects.

Initiatives taken by the government for the social sector also figured prominently in the meeting.

Officials from various departments also made presentations on the progress made by their respective ministries on the 100-day agenda.

The meeting came against the backdrop of incidents of atrocities against women in West Bengal, Maharashtra and some other parts of the country that triggered protests.