NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a session with four chief ministers here Saturday evening to pinpoint the issues to be taken up at the NITI Aayog meeting later in the day. He laid stress on the Centre changing its policy in the naxal and tribal areas from exploitation of the natural resources to attraction of investments to let the people have share in prosperity.
The meeting was attended among others by Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy. Other CMs were Kamal Nath (MP), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) and V Narayanasamy (Puducherry). Congress sources said Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh was unwell. Kamal Nath also hosted a dinner here Friday night to the chief ministers to discuss the issues on which they should confront the prime minister at the Aayog meeting.
The issues that Dr Manmohan Singh wanted the CMs to raise in the meeting are include: Revival of rivers; new central efforts needed on the agriculture front; and amendment in the Forest Act to prevent removal of tribals and forest dwellers from the forests and bring a change in their life.
-Our Bureau
