India can develop only if states develop: Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India can only develop if its states develop, reiterating his commitment to work in partnership with the state governments at meetings with two state chief ministers on Monday.

Among those who called on the Prime Minister for what officials described as a ‘courtesy call’ on Monday included Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

“It was good to hear PM Narendra Modi say India can only develop if its states develop, & that he'll cooperate,” BJD MP from Kendrapara Baijayant Panda said after the meeting on social media.

Working together with the states has been a key theme of Modi’s communiques so far with top officials in the Prime Minister’s Office as well as his 45-member ministerial council. Modi had asked his officials to address the problems and issues raised by states promptly and sensitively. The same message was conveyed to ministers in the second meeting of the Modi cabinet.

Chandy and Patnaik’s meetings with Modi followed a similar courtesy call last Friday by Chandrababu Naidu, who was Andhra Pradesh chief minister-designate at the time.

Governors of four states had also met Narendra Modi on Friday — Jagannath Pahadia of Haryana, ESL Narasimhan from Andhra Pradesh, NN Vohra from Jammu & Kashmir and Manipur governor VK Duggal.

Two chiefs of union territories have also met the PM so far, including the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi Najeeb Jung. After Modi moved into his official Race Course Residence on Friday, the LG of Andaman & Nicobar Islands AK Singh had also met the PM to convey his best wishes.

No issue-based Support to NDA in RS, Says Patnaik

NEW DELHI: Odisha chief minister Navin Patnaik, who the PM on Monday, said after the meeting that he had sought a special status for Odisha from the the Centre and a change in the mineral royalties regime. “The issue of the Biju Janata Dal joining the National Democratic Alliance was not discussed," he said. Dismissing questions about lending issue-based support to the Modi government in the Rajya Sabha where it has a minority, he said : “We will play a constructive role."