Jayant Sinha to meet state Fin Secretaries tomorrow

Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha will meet with state finance secretaries on Tuesday to discuss various initiatives taken by the Centre in the past few months.

The meeting will be attended by Finance Secretary Ratan Watal, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das and Financial Services Secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal, besides other officials from the ministry,” an official said.

“Secretaries in the Finance Ministry will make presentations showing the various initiatives taken by the Centre, including the expenditure on social security schemes, the banking sector revamp and various other reform measures to ease doing business.”

The move is also a step towards co-operative federalism, under which the Centre will deliberate on issues hindering implementation of schemes.

In the past few months, the Centre has taken various measures to promote financial inclusion. Apart from opening of bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana, it has launched one pension and two insurance schemes — Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana.

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The Centre has also moved to improve doing business in the country by easing foreign direct investment rules.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said his government was taking states on board for development of the country, asserting that India can move ahead only on the “strong shoulders” of the states.

“India is not going to progress from Delhi... States have the most important role in India’s progress. India can move ahead only on the strong shoulders of the states and not from Delhi alone. If we walk together shoulder to shoulder, then results will automatically come,” Mr. Modi had remarked.