PM gives bureaucrats a pep talk

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday told secretaries of all Union ministries to feel free to approach him with any problem they faced.

"Whenever you feel that certain issues need to be discussed further and certain matters need to be brought to my notice, you are free to see me. My doors are always open for you," he told the country's top bureaucrats in an hour-long meeting. Singh said he would ensure that priority is given to the secretaries' requests for appointments.

"Civil service should be accountable, effective and transparent in its functioning. It should be proactive and produce results... you are secretaries to the government of India first and then to your ministries," he said at a gathering of all 137 department heads at the Vigyan Bhawan.

The prime minister asked the department heads to take a holistic view of issues instead of a narrow approach, focused only on their own ministries, and urged them to think innovatively. "The initiatives will have to come from you. You will have my full support. We need to move from expenditure to outcome," he said.

According to sources in the Prime Minister's Office, the idea was to introduce Singh to all the secretaries. However, there were no introductions. The interaction commenced at 4 pm with a brief speech by Cabinet Secretary BK Chaturvedi followed by the Prime Minister's address. Personnel secretary AN Tiwari delivered the concluding remarks.

Singh revived the interaction system, last held during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as prime minister.

Touching upon the National Common Minimum Programme in his address, Singh asked officials to ensure "even the last drop of tear in the eyes of the poor was wiped". He also spoke of administrative and governance reforms to improve the functioning of the bureaucracy and make it more accountable.

According to a secretary present in the meeting, the prime minister also intends to meet officials in cognate groups based on the work they handle.

In his address Singh urged the bureaucrats to address "sensitively and yet effectively" the internal security concerns, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and areas affected by Naxalite activities.

Pointing to key issues in governance, Singh said there was a need to improve the quality of public sector management and the performance of core sectors like power, coal, ports and shipping, roads, telecom and railways.

He also asked the secretaries to make social sectors spending and delivery more effective besides ensuring that economic growth generated employment opportunities. The prime minister also stressed on the need for heralding in another 'green revolution.'