New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged governors to play the role of an effective bridge between the Centre and the state and interact with people and social organisations in a manner that would co-opt those who are underprivileged.
Addressing the two-day conference of governors, inaugurated and chaired by President Droupadi Murmu, Modi said the post of the governor was an important institution that could play a crucial role in the welfare of the people within the framework of the Constitution, particularly with reference to tribal areas.
The president, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also addressed the inaugural session.
"In his address, the Prime Minister urged the governors to play the role of an effective bridge between the Centre and the state and interact with people and social organisations in a manner to co-opt those who are underprivileged," according to a release issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The conference, which ends on Saturday, will cover a wide range of issues that play a critical role in not only shaping the centre-state relations but also promoting welfare schemes for common people, the release said.
In her opening remarks, Murmu said it was crucial for the smooth functioning of democracy that various central agencies work with better coordination across all the states.
She advised governors to think about how they, as constitutional heads of their respective states, can promote this coordination.
Murmu said the agenda for this conference included carefully chosen issues that were crucial in achieving national goals.
The deliberations of the conference, the president added, would be an enriching experience for all participants and help them in their functioning.
The president expressed confidence that all governors would continue to contribute to the service and welfare of the people, doing justice to the oath taken by them.
With the implementation of three new laws related to criminal justice, a new era of the justice system had begun in the country, Murmu said.
The change in thinking, she added, was evident from the names of the laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
According to Murmu, quality higher education was an intangible asset as it promoted individual development and social change as well as innovation and economic progress. She said the National Education Policy placed emphasis on improving the accreditation and assessment system of educational institutions.
The president also urged governors to contribute to this reform process in their capacity as the chancellors of state universities.
The president said the Central government had been giving utmost priority to the development of the poor, the border areas, the deprived sections and areas, and people left behind in the development journey.
She urged the governors to suggest ways to achieve inclusive development of people in tribal areas. of these areas.
Murmu said 'youth development' and 'youth-led development' would gain more momentum if the energy of the youth could be channelised into positive and constructive work.
The 'MY Bharat' campaign provides a well-thought-out system for this purpose. Governors should encourage the people associated with this campaign so that more and more youth are benefited, she said.
Referring to the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' campaign, Murmu noted that it enabled the people of different states and UTs to understand each other and connect with each other.
She urged the governors to contribute in further strengthening the spirit of unity. Murmu said many efforts are being made to deal with the challenges such as climate change and global warming and the governors can contribute to this by making the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign a people's movement on a larger scale.
She said by encouraging natural farming, soil fertility can be increased and enhance farmers' income. Raj Bhavans can lead by example to promote natural farming.
In his address, Dhankhar referred to the oath of governors and urged them to discharge their constitutional responsibility of making people aware of social welfare schemes and the incredible developments that have taken place during the last decade.
Shah delineated the course of discussions that the two day-conference will take and urged the governors to visit 'Vibrant Villages' and 'Aspirational Districts' to instill confidence among people and give fillip to developmental work.
The conference is designed to have breakaway sessions in which sub-groups of governors will deliberate on each agenda item, the release said.
Apart from the governors, such sessions will also be attended by Union ministers and officials of the ministries concerned.
Observations and suggestions of the sub-groups will be presented before the president, vice president and prime minister as well as other participants during the concluding session on Saturday.