By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 3 Jun: The SETU Aayog today hosted a regional conference here under NITI Aayog’s State Support Mission (SSM), bringing together institutional representatives and officials from State Planning and Transformation Commissions of 10 states. Senior officials from NITI Aayog, experts, and key stakeholders participated in discussions on policy innovation and grassroots governance, aiming to enhance the implementation of government schemes.
Chief Guest Dr Vijay Saraswat emphasised that the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ begins with “Viksit States”. He stressed upon the importance of state-specific policies, overcoming resource constraints, and making autonomous decisions based on evidence-driven governance.
Vice Chairman of SETU Aayog, Raj Shekhar Joshi highlighted the role of skill development in boosting state economies and aligning with the Prime Minister’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision. He called for mutual cooperation, technology integration, and continuous monitoring to ensure effective policy implementation.
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan urged the SETU Aayog to prioritise data-driven district planning to accelerate Uttarakhand’s growth. The conference also underscored the Centre’s advice to states to establish NITI Aayog like institutions to replace their traditional Planning Commissions.
The event featured technical sessions on good governance, digital transformation, and welfare scheme coordination. Officials from different states exchanged insights to solve common challenges and strengthen institutional capacity. Best practices from progressive states were also shared to help others adopt effective strategies, with actionable policies identified for on-ground impact.
SETU Aayog, emerging as Uttarakhand’s premier policy think tank, is working across various sectors to bridge gaps between policy and real-world implementation. Its initiatives span agriculture, women’s empowerment, electric vehicle policies, IT industry regulations, startups, skill development, urban governance, and higher education.
The conference was also attended by Chief Executive Officer Shatrughna Singh and other dignitaries, marking a significant step towards realising the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision.
