NEW DELHI, Sep  18: The indifference of a majority of states has affected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ease of Doing Business' project, the Central government has said.

Addressing the Chief Secretaries' Conclave, organised under the aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday, Minister of State in Prime Minister Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, said that despite the Centre's proactive policies and encouragement on both social and economic fronts, most states have lagged behind.

He said that due to their failure on various parameters, only a few states have been acknowledged as investment- and investor-friendly. He directed the top bureaucracy present on the occasion from across the country to be instrumental in bringing about transformational changes in Ease of Doing Business in their respective states.

According to the World Bank's latest ranking, India stands at 130th rank in terms of the parameters of Ease of Doing Business. The neighbouring Pakistan stands at 144th rank but both Nepal and Sri Lanka are ahead, at 107th and 110th positions, respectively. New Zealand and Singapore top the list.

The areas where India still lags far behind are dealing with contract permits, registering property, tax structures, and enforcing contracts.

The minister further called upon the Chief Secretaries to desist from saying "Yes Minister" to their respective polity. He said they must make a shift in their approach and insist on "No Minister", if any economic, social, or political decision does not conform to the interest of states, in terms of their economic and social uplift.

"Since I am also in-charge of the Department of Personnel, I wish to bring it to the attention of the nation that of the civil services professionals who recently passed from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy in Mussoorie, over 75 per cent were drawn from leading medical and engineering institutions. It forces me to think and air my views that engineering and medical professionals ought to take up jobs in start-up ventures, as is being promoted under the current regime," Singh said.

Speaking on the occasion, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said India would have to grow at a rate of 9-10 per cent for the next three decades to emerge as a leading economy in the world. For this, states will have to improve the Ease of Doing Business, otherwise the Centre would name and shame them, he said.

Among the top bureaucracy that had gathered on the occasion from different states included Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Rajiv Kumar, who said the state will launch the e-secretariat from January, 2018, to facilitate faster implementation of industrial proposals. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Sakuntala Gamlin held that with more infrastructural development in the state, it would soon attract the attention of investors, and invited the PHD Chamber to open an office in the state. (DNA)

 

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
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