PM Modi asks ministers to reach office on time, avoid working from home

New Delhi: In his first meeting with the new Council of Ministers on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed all the ministers to reach office on time every morning and avoid working from home. He also asked the cabinet ministers to involve their deputy ministers (Ministers of State) in all important decisions of the ministeries. He said the deputy ministers should be given adequate responsibilities.

He further added that Members of Parliament and party workers should be given time for meeting, suggesting that their grievances should be heard.

Ahead of the Council of Ministers meeting, the Prime Minister met his Cabinet and outlined the road-map and action plan of his government for the next five years. He took several decisions including triple talaq Bill among others.

This was the first-ever meeting of the new Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister. Sources said he spelled out his priorities for Mission 2022 and asked them to present a report card every three months.

Sources said the Prime Minister told his colleagues that he would review the task done by them and would monitor the `high priority` schemes being implemented by the various ministries. He is said to have been concerned about the schemes and projects such as `housing for all` related with Mission 2022, the year when the country celebrates its 75th year of Independence.

He spelled out his priorities related to ministries dealing with the social sector. For Rural Development and the newly-constituted Jal Shakti Ministry, Modi outlined specific tasks, the sources said.

At present water crisis, particularly in rural areas, is posing a grave threat for the agriculture sector in the wake of apprehensions of a drought in the western region.

Modi has already asked the ministries to furnish an action plan for their respective departments for the first 100 days.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told media that the meeting of the Council of Ministers was a regular affair, saying it is the continuation of the practice started by the Prime Minister in 2014.