BJP Chief Minister's Conference

BJP Chief Ministers' Conference
New Delhi - September 11-12, 2004

Welcome Speech by
Shri Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu
President, Bharatiya Janata Party

Namaste. I welcome all the Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states, their ministerial colleagues, and my Party colleagues to this conference. We also have with us a ministerial representative from Orissa. This conference is the first of its kind, as far as our Party is concerned.

Why this conference?

This conference provides further testimony to the importance we attach to Good Governance. It shows yet again that our Party is committed to doing its best to fulfill the aspirations of the people, in whichever state they have given us the mandate. In democracy, a government has to be accountable to the people. And the best way of demonstrating our accountability is by regularly reviewing the government's performance in light of the promises made to the electorate and by making sincere efforts to improve it continually. No doubt, each of our state governments is doing this at its own level. However, we felt that our governments can achieve better results by exchanging their knowledge and experience in governance, and by sharing their best practices.

There is an additional reason that prompted us to think of organizing a conference of this kind. The BJP has experience of running state governments for a long time. However, we also gained invaluable experience of governance at the Centre during the six years that Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee provided visionary leadership to India. Notwithstanding the outcome of the recent Lok Sabha elections, nobody can deny the outstanding achievements and historic initiatives of the NDA government. After this useful experience of providing good governance at the Centre, the BJP as a Party has a far better understanding of the needs, problems and potential of state governments.

My personal experience

Speaking for myself, my personal experience in the ministry of rural development made me realize, more sharply than before, how state government can either accelerate or thwart development at the cutting edge. I have seen how a revolutionary programme like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has been literally grounded in Bihar, where rural roads are in a shocking state of neglect. Even though Bihar needs this project the most - and it is a project for which the Centre provides 100% funds - bad governance in the state has ensured that funds under the PMGSY remain largely unutilized. On the contrary, the Vajpayee government earned a lot of goodwill in whichever state the PMGSY was properly implemented.

I have cited the PMGSY only as an example to emphasise that the responsibility of implementation of most of the development policies and programmes rests with the state governments or with local bodies. My experience of being in the Central government has convinced me that India can progress faster only if introduce good governance measures at the state and sub-state levels.

Indeed, improving governance and accelerating development has become one of the dominant themes in our Party in recent times. We have publicly declared that "Nationalism" and "Development" are the twin commitments of the BJP. Without stoutly safeguarding national security, unity and integrity, there can be no development. Similarly, without faster all-round development, India cannot achieve national resurgence and realize her cherished national dreams. Hence, "Nationalism" and "Development" go hand in hand.

Which is why, at the meeting of our Party's National Executive in Mumbai in June, we decided to pay special attention to the performance of the BJP-run state governments. Later, at the Chintan Baithak in Goa towards the end of July, we decided to organize a conference of BJP Chief Ministers. Thus, today's conference is the result of an in-depth thinking within the Party.

No discrimination against any state in the Vajpayee government

Friends, our conference is taking place at a time when the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has made it amply clear that its approach towards the opposition, especially towards the BJP, will be one of confrontation and vendetta. It has no intention of continuing the fine example set by the Vajpayee government, which treated all the state governments, irrespective of the party or the coalition that led them, with an equal and sympathetic approach. It never discriminated against any of them on the basis of politics or ideology. As a result, Centre-State relations became the smoothest during the six years of Shri Atalji's prime ministership. All this is rapidly changing.

Comprehensive and complementary agenda of the conference

Friends, the Agenda that has been prepared for this two-day conference makes it clear that we want to discuss a wide range of issues. We will have the benefit of the presence and guidance of Shri Atalji and Shri Advaniji on both days.

We have kept the first session for the Chief Ministers to present their vision, policies, programmes and achievements. After all the Chief Ministers have made their presentations, we shall have an interaction with the Chief Ministers. Later in the day, we have three sessions that are devoted to three important topics - security challenges, financial health of state governments, and accelerating socio-economic development. We have three highly experienced persons initiating discussions on these topics. Tomorrow morning, we have invited CII and FICCI to interact with the Chief Ministers and the rest of us.

The focus on the first day is on the achievements and initiatives of our state governments, the challenges before them, and how to overcome those challenges by employing innovative ideas and promoting people's participation. The focus on the second day is mostly on strengthening the coordination between the government and the Party organization. You will agree that, these two points of focus complement each other.

Sampark, Samvaad, Sahayog, Sahabhag and Samanvay
leading to Santosh

If I have to sum up the tasks before both the governments in the BJP-ruled states and the Party units in those states, I would use just three words: Sampark (contact with the people), Samvaad (dialogue with the people), Sahayog (understanding people's grievances and addressing them), Sahabhag (making people partners and participants in development) and Samanvay (coordination between the Party and the government). If we can fulfill these five tasks, we can certainly create an atmosphere of Santosh (satisfaction) among the people.

Some suggestions for priority actions

Before I conclude, I wish to present a short list of ideas that you may consider in your deliberations in the conference and subsequent action by your governments.

1) Focus on Bijlee, Sadak, Paani, Shikshaa, and Swasthya issues.

2) Take up Paani Roko and other water management programmes as a mater of high priority with people's participation.

3) Conducting Gram Sabha meetings should be made mandatory.

4) Promote Model Village concept. Introduce incentives for best-performing Panchayats.

5) Effective implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan.

6) Take effective steps to reduce school dropouts, especially among girl students.

7) Vigorously implement Total Sanitation Programme in villages and towns, beginning with girls' schools.

8) Clean and Green programmes should be widely undertaken.

9) Transparency and accountability at all levels of the government. Ensure that every petition received from the people is acknowledged and duly followed up.

10) Promote Work Culture at all levels of the government.

11) Take effective steps for preservation of cultural heritage and historical monuments.

12) Set up markets for the products of village artisans. Emphasise use of KVIC products in government offices and organizations.

13) Take special steps to address regional imbalances, with tehsil as the unit.

14) Promote Population Control measures with popularization of the Two-Child norm uniformly among all sections of society.

This is not an exhaustive list. I am sure that many of you are already implementing some of these ideas. If we are able to show some visible action on these basic issues, both the government and the party will gain in goodwill and popularity.

I said that this is conference is the first of its kind. I assure you that we will make this a periodic exercise. We will also have smaller meetings of Chief Ministers and ministers on specific subjects. At the end of this conference, we also intend to formulate certain concrete action-oriented decisions and to set up an institutional mechanism for regular consultation and monitoring of the decisions taken. I seek your practical ideas and suggestions on this.

With these words, I once again welcome all of you for this conference.

Thank you.