Kalam to mentor Modi's ministers in desert camp

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has invited former President APJ Abdul Kalam to act as motivational speaker for his cabinet members at this year's 'Chintan Shivir' organised in the wilderness of the Kutch desert.

The four-day brainstorming session which began on Friday brings together the CM, his cabinet members and the top bureaucracy of the state. It will be addressed by Kalam and spiritual leader Swami Subodhanandji.

"The CM wanted to invite someone who is a great orator and a example of human enterprise and what better choice than APJ Abdul Kalam. He will address the ministers and bureaucracy and also interact with them informally," K Srinivas, Secretary-in-charge, Kutch district told PTI.

The Shivir, the brainchild of Modi, has been a yearly event since the past six years and this time around the CM zeroed in on the exotic locale of the white desert of Kutch, which in his own words is a "divine setting for introspection".

Modi along with his ministerial colleagues will stay in a tented township, just 100 kms away from the India Pakistan border for the session during which the roadmap for the coming year will be discussed.

The aim of the exercise is to let the chief minister interact with the personnel working at the grass root levels.

Apart from the innovative changes in government departments, administrative reforms and special focus on e-governance, the theme of this year's Shivir would be eco-friendly approach to development.

The mornings will be ushered in with yoga sessions with breakfast and lunch serving as tete-e-tete time with the chief minister. Late evenings are reserved for cultural programmes.