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Sonia tells Congress CMs to govern well

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday stressed the need for effective governance and new administrative culture.

Addressing the third Conference of Congress Chief Ministers in Guwahati, Assam, Gandhi asked them to practice "new politics, a politics in which economic growth and social development has absolute primacy, welfare and well-being of weaker sections being of overriding priority, a politics that unites and a politics that takes the entire country forward".

Gandhi said ensuring legislated minimum wages, welfare of unorganised sector, curbing atrocities on weaker sections, ensuring law and order and maintaining social peace and harmony was good governance.

"Vigorous implementation of legislation that was passed during Rajivji's tenure as prime minister to curb atrocities on the weaker sections is good governance," she added.

The Congress chief said: "I am very particular that our states start training programmes on a massive scale for elected representatives to local bodies, as Rajivji believed that empowering local governments was the first step to good governance."

She also asked Congress chief ministers to combat corruption.

Gandhi asked them to reinforce their commitment to responsible and fiscally sustainable economic management, as it was "unfortunately true that the structure of public expenditures today bears no relation to pressing socio-economic priorities".

She asked the states to take tough decisions to restore their fiscal systems, as "we remain firmly committed to a welfare state, but a state that must have a strong and growing investment capacity".

She further asked the chief ministers to practise austerity and to "practise what we preach".

Gandhi also directed them to give attention to reforms in the power sector so that all sections of the society get reliable and adequate power at affordable rates.

PTI

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