Think big to give city unique national image: Narendra Modi to new councilors

Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged the new elected members of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to think big in order to give the city a unique national image in the near future.

Inaugurating a three-day induction programme at the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration, Modi said that instead of worrying about their fate in the next election, they should chart out development plans with clarity of vision. Lack of clarity would only inspire the administration to misuse the situation, he added.

For example, they could go for a “zero-slum city” programme, he said, adding that only a selfless attitude of ensuring public satisfaction, and not welfare of self, will guarantee a hands-down victory in the next elections.

Calling the 192 councillors “team Ahmedabad”, he said they all must think and work in perfect harmony and win over hearts of people cutting across party lines. He told the councillors to visit wards of their counterparts to learn things worth emulating instead of comparing perks of power with others.

He suggested to form a body of intellectuals who could hold monthly meetings with the mayor to deliberate upon new ideas for the betterment of the city, “which cannot afford intellectual poverty”.

Mayor Asit Vora and Anvil Baijal, former secretary (urban development), Government of India, were among those present at the programmers.