At meet with PM, officials say unviable populist schemes by some states could take them down the Lankan path

New Delhi, Apr 04: A few bureaucrats during a marathon meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concerns about the populist schemes being announced by some states and called them economically unsustainable.

The officials told the PM at the meeting which was also attended by National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval that such schemes could take them down the same path as Sri Lanka.

Two secretaries at the meeting cited populist schemes announced during the recent assembly elections in a state. They said that this state is in a financial bad shape and similar schemes in other states are economically not sustainable and could take them down the same path as Sri Lanka which is today mired in an economic crisis.

The meeting was held by the Prime Minister with secretaries of all departments at his camp office at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg on Saturday. The meting was also attended by Secretary to Prime Minister, P K Mishra and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba along with other top officials.

The PM asked the officials to act as secretaries of the government of India and not of their respective departments. The officials should work as a team the PM said while citing the teamwork shown by the secretaries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also told them to come out of the mentality of managing shortages and instead manage surplus. PM Modi also said that officials should give up the approach of citing poverty as an excuse for not undertaking major developmental works.

He also sought a feedback in the policies of the government, including those not released to their department.