Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya has said that the Niti Aayog is ‘Team India’ with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair along with main Cabinet members with a governing council comprising of all the Chief Ministers and lieutenant Governors.

Addressing the valedictory session of the ADRI here, Panagariya said, "At the first meeting, the Prime Minister turned around the model by seeking advice of Chief Ministers on three major initiatives: Centrally sponsored schemes, Swachch Bharat and Skill  Development." The role of Niti Aayog in fostering centre-state partnerships in light of the Union government's initiative to promote cooperative and competitive federalism was the dominant theme at the session.

Replying to question posed by N K Singh, former member of Planning Commission, Panagariya said that the Niti Aayog has already evolved consensus in completing three reports where regional considerations were addressed in navigating different projects. "Major recommendations have even been implemented and two Task Forces have been appointed with parallel task forces in the states to address issues of agriculture and poverty alleviation," he said.

Citing Niti Aayog's success in resolving 20 contentious issues within two hours in the case of Telengana, Panagariya stressed on the Aayog's greater engagements with the States to help resolve their issues with the Centre.

Earlier, Bihar Finance Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui, raised the concerns of Bihar and other backward States. Talking of the Bharat-India dichotomy, he said: "There is need to deliberate on finding solutions to Bihar's under-development." Mentioning the State's progress on the power and road fronts, he mentioned the lack of interest in Bihar by the industrial houses.

Siddiqui's concern over the share of States from the divisible pool of central taxes was echoed by his predecessor in the previous State government and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who too requested the Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman to address the question.