PM Modi stresses reforms for ‘Ease of Living, Business’ for Viksit Bharat in council of ministers meeting

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday shared details about his meeting with the Council of Ministers, saying that discussions focused on boosting ‘Ease of Living’, improving the ‘Ease of Doing Business’, and accelerating reforms to realise the shared vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi said, “Had a fruitful meeting of the Council of Ministers yesterday. We exchanged perspectives and best practices relating to boosting ‘Ease of Living, ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and how to further reforms in order to realise our shared dream of a Viksit Bharat.”

Prime Minister Modi chaired a marathon four-and-a-half-hour meeting with the Council of Ministers on Thursday, where he delivered a strong message ahead of the government completing 12 years at the Centre next month.

According to sources quoted by NDTV, the Prime Minister urged ministers to focus on the future, accelerate reforms, and ensure that governance remains centred on public welfare and ease of living.

“Forget what happened in the past, focus on the future,” PM Modi reportedly told ministers during the closed-door meeting.

The high-level meeting comes amid speculation about a possible Cabinet reshuffle before June 9, when the Modi government will complete 12 years at the Centre and two years of its third term.

The Prime Minister stressed that every ministry must work with ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ as its guiding vision. He said reforms should not remain confined to paperwork but must translate into faster, simpler and more effective governance for citizens.

Sources said PM Modi also emphasised the need for quicker movement of files without unnecessary bureaucratic delays and asked ministers to maximise productivity within the available time.

Nine departments made presentations before the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. These included the Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, Labour, Road Transport, Corporate Affairs, External Affairs, Commerce and Power, sources told NDTV.

The Prime Minister further underlined the importance of simplifying government functioning and ensuring that public interest remains the foremost priority across all ministries.

According to sources, PM Modi also asked ministers to directly communicate the Central government’s 12-year journey, welfare initiatives and reform agenda to the people.

The meeting included a presentation on the achievements and reforms undertaken over the last 12 years. Ministries had earlier submitted detailed reports to the Cabinet Secretariat outlining reforms carried out over the past two years, along with future policy plans.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also briefed the Council of Ministers on the government’s recent five-nation diplomatic outreach, which sources described as successful.

This was the first meeting of the full Council of Ministers in nearly 11 months. The previous meeting was held on June 4 last year.

Sources told NDTV that PM Modi is expected to sharpen the government’s reform push in the coming months amid global uncertainties and ongoing tensions in West Asia.

–IANS

jk/dpb