Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked governors and lieutenant governors to listen to the needs of the people and work towards uplifting the underprivileged sections of the society, including minorities.

He made these remarks at a conference of governors and lieutenant governors in the national capital.

He also made a special mention of healthcare, education and tourism sectors where there were new opportunities waiting to be harnessed for job generation and betterment of the poor and downtrodden, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said.

Modi said as they work to discharge their constitutional responsibilities, the governor and LGs should listen to the needs of the common man.

The prime minister urged the governors to work towards upliftment of the underprivileged sections of the population, including the scheduled tribes, minority communities, women and the youth, which includes working with state governments and utilising the existing schemes and initiatives," the statement said.

He said that the institution of governor has a special role to play in realising a cooperative and competitive federal structure.

Modi observed that as India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence in 2022 and the 100th anniversary in 2047, the role of the governor in bringing the administrative machinery closer to the people of the country and showing them the correct path becomes even more important.

"As we celebrate 70 years of the framing of the Indian Constitution, governors and state governments should also work towards highlighting the service aspects of the Indian Constitution, in particular the duties and responsibilities of the citizens. This will help to bring about participatory governance in the truest sense," he was quoted as saying.

He pointed out that the governor's office could also be used for specific objectives like spreading awareness about tuberculosis and making India free of this disease by 2025.

In their roles as chancellors of universities, governors could help inculcate the values of nation-building among our youth and help to inspire them towards greater achievements, the prime minister said.

He was of the view that due to their administrative structure, Union territories can emerge as a role model in terms of development.

The prime minister expressed happiness that the latest edition of the conference would see innovative detailed 'break-out' discussions in five sub-groups on specific issues and challenges -- tribal issues, reforms in agriculture, Jal Jeevan Mission, New Education Policy and Governance for 'Ease of Living'; whose reports will then be discussed in the larger format by the participants.

At the 50th annual governors' conference, 17 first time governors and lieutenant governors, including the Lt. Governors of the newly formed union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, participated.

Besides Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Home Minister Amit Shah and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were among those present on the occasion.

(PTI)

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