Keypoints:
- Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said adding that states must carry out the next wave of reforms in India.
- He went on to add that it is difficult to compete against China without hard reforms.
The Centre has identified 10 sectors for production-linked incentives, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said adding that states must carry out the next wave of reforms in India.
Kant said this was the first government that had carried out hard reforms across sectors, including mining, coal, labour and agriculture, but felt states must push the next wave of reforms.
The BJP-led NDA government has demonstrated “political will to carry out hard reforms”reforms”, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Tuesday. He went on to add that it is difficult to compete against China without hard reforms.
The report added that the Niti Aayog CEO stressed that the next wave of reforms must come from states. “If 10-12 states will grow at higher rates, then there is no reason why Indian won’t grow at higher rates. We have asked union territories to privatise discoms. Discoms must become far more competitive and provide cheap power.”
However, Kant later tweeted to say that he had been misquoted. “I was speaking about MEIS scheme & resources being spread thin & need for creating global champions in manufacturing sector,” he said
This is definitely not what I said. I was speaking about MEIS scheme & resources being spread thin & need for creating global champions in manufacturing sector. https://t.co/6eugmtoinB
— Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) December 8, 2020
Addressing a virtual event organised by Swarajya magazine, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant also said that that states must now take up the baton and carry out the next wave of reforms.
During the virtual address, the Niti Aayog CEO also responded to a question about the ongoing farmers’ agitation. He reiterated the Centre’s stance that Minimum Support Price (MSP) and APMC mandis will remain adding that the new farm laws will give farmers a choice to sell their products to whomever they want.
On Modi government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, he said it is not about looking inwards, but unleashing the potential of Indian companies. The government has identified 10 champion sectors for production-linked incentives (PLI) scheme and these sectors will play a major role in making India a manufacturing hub, and give the country economies of scale, Kant said.
Earlier, at the virtual event, replying to a question on protests by farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, against the Centre’s new farm laws, Kant said the agriculture sector needs reforms. “It is very important to understand this that MSPs (minimum support price) will be there, mandis will remain…farmers must have a choice to sell their products as they benefit out of this,” he noted.
