PM chairs Council of Ministers meet on issues affecting women, poor

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the entire Council of Ministers where issues affecting women and timely delivery of various policy measures figured prominently, sources said.

The five-hour meeting, held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan here, also took stock of the progress made on the first 100 days agenda of the third term of the BJP-led NDA government.

Measures for the four castes -- women, poor, youth and farmers -- were stressed during the meeting that was also attended by secretaries of various government departments.

A key thrust of the meeting was on spreading awareness about new schemes and policy decisions made since the government assumed office in June, including the new infrastructure projects.

Initiatives taken by the government for the social sector also figured prominently in the meeting.

Officials from various departments also made presentations on the progress made by their respective ministries on the 100-day agenda.

Keeping its focus on infrastructure development, the NDA government has approved projects worth more than Rs 2.30 lakh for building new railway lines, ports, airports, and industrial smart cities to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The meeting came against the backdrop of incidents of atrocities against women in West Bengal, Maharashtra and some other parts of the country that triggered protests.