New Delhi [India], May 24 (ANI): Ahead of the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, Chief Ministers and state heads from across India arrived at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital to attend the meeting on the theme of 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @2047'.

Chief Ministers including Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Tripura CM Manik Saha, and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu arrived at the venue.

Ahead of his arrival at the meeting, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu outlined his state's key concerns, stating, 'NITI Aayog looks into the state-related issues. My main issue will be that if the power projects in Himachal Pradesh, NHPC, and NTPC are completely debt-free, then the 12 per cent free royalty that is taken from consumers through pass-through, that free royalty should be increased and that project should be returned to the people of Himachal; a time limit should be set for that... PSU projects should also be returned to the people of Himachal.'

Chaired by PM Modi, the 10th meeting of the NITI Aayog Governing Council will bring together Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors of States and Union Territories, Union Ministers, and the Vice Chairman, Members and the CEO of NITI Aayog to deliberate on the roadmap for achieving 'Viksit Rajya, Viksit Bharat @2047' - a developed India by 2047.

As per an official release, the idea of Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat is a call for States to craft bold, long-term, and inclusive vision documents aligned with national priorities yet grounded in local realities. These visions must include time-bound targets and States must leverage their unique geographic and demographic advantages while focusing on human development, economic growth, sustainability, technology, and governance reforms. The focus can be on data-driven processes and outcome-based transformation, supported by Project Monitoring Units, ICT-enabled Infrastructure and Monitoring & Evaluation Cells to ensure accountability and midcourse correction.

The 10th Governing Council meeting provides a platform to the Centre and States/Union Territories to deliberate on development challenges facing the nation and build consensus on how States can be the building blocks for making India a developed nation, i.e., Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat. The meeting will also discuss measures for promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing skilling, and creating sustainable employment opportunities across the country.

The Governing Council of NITI Aayog will also focus on building a consensus on the themes of the 4th National Conference of Chief Secretaries held between December 13 and 15, 2024. Secretaries from the Government of India and Chief Secretaries from all States and UTs were part of the consultative process towards defining the framework and providing suggestions for the agenda of 'Viksit Bharat@2047'. (ANI)