NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a key meeting of the Union council of ministers amidst speculation of a Cabinet reshuffle. The meeting primarily focused on the 2024 general elections with the Prime Minister seeking performance reports of a section of ministries. He emphasised the need for ministers to ensure that the benefits of government schemes and programmes reach the common people.
The meeting took place at the newly-built convention centre in Pragati Maidan, which is set to host the G-20 Summit in September. The gathering saw the participation of all Cabinet ministers and ministers with independent charges.
“A fruitful meeting with the council of ministers, where we exchanged views on diverse policy-related issues,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted after the meeting, which lasted for nearly five hours. Sources said that the Prime Minister told the ministers that his government is being run on the agenda of development and it is the collective responsibility of ministers to ensure that the development agenda of the government reaches every section of society.
“The Prime Minister said that 2024 will be fought on development,” sources said.
Sources further said Modi encouraged ministers to actively engage on social media platforms and maintain a strong physical presence among the public.
As per sources, a few ministers gave presentations related to their ministries before the council of ministers. It has been learnt that a few Central flagship programmes and schemes were also discussed in the meeting.
Presentation on India’s likely development journey till 2047 made at the meeting, the sources said.
It has also been learnt that the Prime Minister asked the ministers to focus more on the delivery of government schemes and regularly interact with people.
It has been further learnt that the Prime Minister asked the ministers to explain to people the work of their ministries and union government.
The meeting of the Union council of ministers comes amid speculations about a likely Cabinet reshuffle following a series of meetings of the ruling BJP’s top brass and the Prime Minister. What has added to the reshuffle buzz is the fact that the period before Parliament’s Monsoon Session, which begins on July 20, could be the last window for such an exercise.
The fact that the period before Parliament’s Monsoon Session, which begins on July 20, could be the last window for such an exercise have added to the reshuffle buzz. The BJP’s organisation, including in some states, may also see some changes as its top brass makes its choices for key positions with the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls intensifying.
