'Reforms should be people centric and people driven': PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his inaugural address at the G-20 Summit meeting here on Saturday said that reforms should be people centric and people driven.

"Reform must be People-centric and People-driven. Reform has to be driven by the people....cannot be by stealth: PM @narendramodi to G-20 Summit on Reform processes," MEA spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin quoted Prime Minister Modi on Twitter.

The Prime Minister asserted that reform is a continuous multi-stage process which must be institutionalized.

"Reform is a continuous multi-stage process... must be institutionalized. Reform is bound to face resistance..... must be insulated from political pressures. Globally, reforms are handicapped with perception of being govt programs, a burden on the people, this needs to change - PM @narendramodi," Akbaruddin tweeted.

The Prime Minister also referred to simplifying the reform process and bringing change in governance.

"Reforms should lead to simplification of processes...... and processes of governance must be reformed. Reform must be technology driven.... must have scale and address root causes," Akbaruddin further shared.

Earlier today, during his informal meeting with the BRICS leaders in Brisbane, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for repatriation of unaccounted money stashed abroad as a key priority for India and linked the unaccounted money with security challenges.

He met French President Francois Hollande and is expected to meet other G-20 leaders including US President Barack Obama over the weekend.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Modi attended a dinner hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the margins of the G-20 Summit. He also met European Union President Herman Van Rompuy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, and visited the Queensland University of Technology.

After the G-20 Summit, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to travel to Sydney, where he will attend an Indian Diaspora community reception organized in his honour.

He will then travel to Australian capital Canberra to address a special joint sitting of the Australian Parliament on November 18. Prime Minister Modi will also address an Indian community event in Melbourne before travelling to Fiji.