Narendra Modi chaired his twenty-second interaction through PRAGATI

Newdelhi:27/9/17;The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today chaired his twenty-second interaction through PRAGATI – the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.

The first twenty one meetings of PRAGATI have seen a cumulative review of 190 projects with a total investment of Rs. 8.94 lakh crore. Resolution of  Public Grievances has also been reviewed in 17 sectors.

Today, in the twenty-second meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed the progress towards handling and resolution of grievances related to the banking sector. The Prime Minister asked the Secretary, Financial Services, to look at ways to increase the use of RuPay debit cards that have been issued to Jan Dhan account holders. The Prime Minister was briefed on the relief that has been received by the Jan Dhan account holders, as part of the insurance provisions that are linked to these accounts.

The Prime Minister reviewed the progress of nine infrastructure projects in the railway, road, power, coal and gas pipeline sectors, spread over several states including Telangana, Karnataka, West Bengal, Manipur, Mizoram, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Delhi. The India Myanmar Friendship Bridge was also reviewed. These projects are cumulatively worth over 37000 crore rupees.

The Prime Minister reviewed the progress of the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), and the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign) for the Divyang.

The Prime Minister said that while many Union Government departments are now using the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), only ten States have so far shown keenness in using it. The Prime Minister said that GeM increases the pace of procurement, and boosts transparency, besides supporting enterprise at the local level. He urged all Chief Secretaries to explore its use to the extent possible, to minimize leakages and delays.

On GST, the Prime Minister said that while traders across the country are positive and are accepting this new taxation arrangement, they need handholding so that their problems can be resolved. He urged the Chief Secretaries to use the district administration in this regard, so that small traders are facilitated to access and adopt the new system. He reiterated that small businesses must register with the GST network, to take advantage of business opportunities. He said that the common man and the trader must benefit from this path breaking decision.

The Prime Minister also called for sustained efforts to boost digital payments and work towards a less cash society.