Reform has to be people driven : PM Modi tells G20

Brisbane, November 15, 2014 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said reform process is bound to face resistance and wanted it to be insulated from political pressures. Making a strong pitch for economic reforms, Mold told fellow G20 leaders at a Retreat here that reforms should lead to simplification of processes and that methods of governance must be reformed.

The retreat was hosted by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the Queensland Parliament House where the leaders met without aides shortly before the annual summit of the 20 industrialised and major economies kicked off at the Brisbane Convention Centre in the afternoon. A barbeque lunch was served to the G20 leaders. "Reform is bound to face resistance...must be insulated from



political pressures," said Modi.

The Prime Minister also made it clear that reform has to be driven by the people and that it cannot be undertaken by "stealth". Asserting that reform must be people-centric and people-driven, he said globally reforms are handicapped with perception of being government programmes and a burden on the people and this needs to change. Modi felt that reforms should lead to simplification of processes and that governance methods must be reformed.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told reporters yesterday that Prime Minister Abbott had specially requested Modi to outline his vision for reforms at the informal meeting of G20 leaders at the retreat in addition to his intervention at the main summit.