Prime Minister Sri. Narendra Modi promised to 'stand by' bureaucrats who take decisions and called for a review of archaic rules to simplify governance. In a meeting on Wednesday evening with all Secretaries of Central Govt, Modi also called for simplifying and streamlining the administrative rules and procedures to make them 'people-friendly'.
Opening a direct line of communication with all the Secretaries, the PM said that he would be accessible to all of them and urged them to approach him with their ideas and inputs. A freewheeling interaction on challenges facing the Indian economy where he sought top officials views on tackling them, this was the first meeting of its kind held by the PM with top officials without their ministers being present at the same time in eight years. Faster results, the PM told the Secretaries in the meeting, could be achieved through collective action and urged them to work together with a team spirit.
Modi, whose top two governance mantras for his ministers are to empower the bureaucracy and create an environment where officials can take innovative decisions, walked the talk and expressed confidence in the officials' commitment and competence to build a better future for the country by reviving the economy, giving a fillip to infrastructure projects and improving the investment climate.
The process of governance of his government should begin with cleaning-up of the offices, improving the workplace, which would automatically result in a better work culture and better services to the citizens, the PMs, office statement said adding that the PM stressed on the use of technology to improve the efficiencies of administration and improve the resolution of public grievances. Modi offered that he would always be ready to give an account of the work being done by him. The Senior bureaucrats echoed his sentiments and welcomed a similar standard of accountability.
"It was a highly motivating experience and there was a great flow of ideas. This is the first time in my career that a free, frank and fearless interaction took place with the Prime Minister of the Country.", Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Sri. Amitabh Kant tweeted after the nearly three and a half meeting.
"The PM did not want the Secretaries to speak only on their sectors, for which we have been asked to make presentations to him separately later. This interaction was on a much broader canvass", said a senior government official adding that the PM heard their ideas and views for over two and a half hours.
Source: The Economic Times
Source: The Economic Times
