Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday highlighted the importance of national unity and cooperative federalism, asserting that political differences between states should never come at the cost of the country’s larger interests. Speaking at a press conference in Bhopal, he also lauded the PRAGATI portal for facilitating development projects and monitoring progress efficiently.
“The Country Is One, All States Are Equally Important”
CM Yadav emphasized that while political competition exists, every state holds equal significance in the national perspective.
“Politically, there may be competition and differences between states, but from the country’s perspective, Tamil Nadu is as important as Kerala. On development-related issues, the PRAGATI portal fulfills basic needs, such as the utilization of underground resources in the interest of the country. Whichever state it may be, the country is one,” he said.
The Chief Minister’s remarks underline a vision of cooperative federalism, where states work collaboratively with the Union government to achieve developmental goals.
Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project Gains Momentum
Mohan Yadav highlighted major river interlinking initiatives, particularly the Ken-Betwa project, which was initially launched during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure. He credited the project’s rapid progress to special attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The Ken-Betwa river interlinking project was started during Atal Ji’s time but gained momentum later and came to the attention of Prime Minister Modi. This project involves an investment of approximately ₹1 lakh crore, of which ₹50,000 crore is being provided by the Government of India. The state’s contribution is only 5 percent. If engineers plan properly, a lot of work can be completed automatically,” CM Yadav said.
He also mentioned the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) project in Rajasthan, noting that careful monitoring and timely documentation are critical for its smooth execution.
Transformation in Center-State Work Culture
The Chief Minister remarked on a notable shift in the work culture between the Union and state governments:
“Today, when we meet the Prime Minister or Home Minister, before the formal meeting, they ask about our projects and their status. This is a period of transformation, and I am fully confident that we are living in an extraordinary time.”
This reflects a broader emphasis on technology-driven governance and accountability, a hallmark of the PRAGATI portal.
PRAGATI Portal: Technology-Driven Governance
The PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) portal allows the Union government to monitor infrastructure and development projects across states, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure timely implementation.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised the portal, stating that 330 infrastructure projects worth ₹10.48 lakh crore in the state are being monitored through PRAGATI. He noted that Uttar Pradesh has shifted from being a “bottleneck” to acting as a “facilitator” and “accelerator” in project execution.
“Technology-based governance and coordination among agencies are key to the PRAGATI portal’s success,” CM Yadav observed.
