The two-day Conference
of Governors concluded in New Delhi today at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Twenty-eight Governors and three Lt. Governors of the States and
Union Territories attended the Conference. The Vice-President
Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister Shri L.K. Advani, the Deputy
Chairman of the Planning Commission and Union Ministers of Defence,
External Affairs, Human Resource Development, Disinvestment and
North East, Agriculture, Water Resources, Youth Affairs
and Sports also participated.
The Vice-President
and the Prime Minister addressed the Conference today. In his
address Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee said that since Independence
various programmes have been launched to remove poverty and achieve
progress and prosperity for the nation. However now it is for
the first time that a clear road map for achieving the goal of
a ‘Developed India’ has been devised. This road map, the Prime
Minister said was being discussed and debated in all forums, including
the Chief Ministers’ Conference, the National Development Council
and now in the Conference of Governors. The goal for a ‘Developed
India’ has also been mentioned in the 10th Five Year
Plan, he added. This is now a total commitment and it can be achieved
only through collective efforts of all concerned and at all levels.
The Prime Minister
underscored the need for Governors to play a proactive role in
the state administration with a total sense of partnership. According
to him, it was, in the existing set up itself, possible for the
Governors to be a full-fledged participant in the development
process. The Prime Minister stressed the need for evolving empolyment-oriented
economic programme. Resources would not be a constraint; what
was needed was effective and purposeful implementation with a
sense of involvement and participation at all levels.
The Vice-President,
spoke on the problems of population growth, the public distribution
system and the role of the Governors in these programmes. Shri
Shekhawat also expressed concern about the high pendency of legal
cases in the courts and called for the improvement in the administration
of the criminal judicial system.
Earlier the Conference
took-up the agenda items of the role of Governors as Chancellors
of Universities and the vision of making India a developed nation
and the role of the youth in this. All the Governors were of the
view that there should be a Central legislation to clearly define
the role of Chancellors in the Universities. While responding
to the observation of the Governors in this regard the Union Human
Resources Development Minister said that the Government would
take adequate measures in this regard without affecting the autonomous
functioning of the Universities.
The President
explained the vision of transforming India into a developed country
by 2020 with a computer presentation. Participating in the discussions
on the vision for a developed India, the Governors generally felt
that to achieve a developed and prosperous India by 2020, it was
necessary that good governance should be provided at every level.
The implementation of various policies and programmes depend on
this, the Governors said. Transparency in governance, meaningful
scheme for developing the full potential of youth, a forward looking
National Youth Policy and implementation of comprehensive economic
development programme were some of the suggestion made by the
Governors for speedy achievement of the goal of a developed and
prosperous India
The Deputy Chairman
of the Planning Commission made observations on the issues raised
by the Governors with regard to the mission of a Developed India.
The Union Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs spoke about the
role of the youth in achieving the vision of a ‘Developed India’
and their participation through various voluntary organizations,
Yuvak Kendras and organisations like the NCC and the NSS.
While summing-up,
the President said that 2003 will be a year of action. Everything
possible would be done by all concerned and at all levels to accelerate
the process of making the country and its people happy, prosperous
and secure. The President also assured the Conference that the
suggestions and recommendations made by the Governors will be
followed up through regular monitoring.
