With COVID-19 battering the economy of Madhya Pradesh (MP), the state has now partnered with the NITI Aayog for a transformational change in governance and an economic turnaround.
In consultation with the NITI Aayog, the MP government has been organising a series of webinars from August 7 to 11 on four priority areas of infrastructure, governance, health and education sectors.
Taking a cue from prime minister Narendra Modi’s pitch of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, MP Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is working on a 3-year action plan to make the state self-reliant i.e. “Aatma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh” .
“The central location of Madhya Pradesh gives us a strategic advantage in the logistics sector. Developing a national logistics hub in state and promoting MP as a logistics hub is our aim.”
~Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief minister of Madhya Pradesh
Member of Parliament Suresh Prabhu while addressing the webinar said Madhya Pradesh has to be linked with the “Global Value Chain” and “Global Supply Chain” for an Aatma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh. “Air cargo” services will have to be expanded in Madhya Pradesh. There is immense potential to make Madhya Pradesh a National Logistics Hub.
NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said that Madhya Pradesh should start experimenting with technology and utilise the maximum potential of technology to become a pioneer.
Experts in the webinar suggested MP to be made into a multi-modal logistics hub, and self-financing of physical infrastructure projects such as urban by-passes and ring roads. ICP Keshari, Additional Chief Secretary, MP government said creating practical logistic for farmers, especially perishable goods- was also included.
The experts in these webinars comprise of representatives from the Central Government, NITI Aayog, NIPFP ; premier academic institutions such as IIMs, IIT, ISB,NISG, SPA ; Public Policy Institutions such as Shyama Prasad Mukharjee Research Foundation, India Foundation, Rambhau Mahalgi Prabodhini , Kronstadt Indo-US- Washginton ICEPAC, representatives of International Institiutions like- WHO, UNDP , World Bank , Consultancy firms such as – E & Y, PwC and the private sector, such as IBM and Tech Mahindra, L & T, CMR Infra , Welspun, Wipro , RIL , Adani Power , Grant Thorton- to name a few.
