As a follow up to the Prime Minister's address to the Secretaries to the Government of India, all Union Secretaries have been requested to take steps to implement the suggestions made by the Prime Minister and send in their feedback on action taken by 22 Nov 2004, to the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister under intimation to the Cabinet Secretary.

The Secretaries to government have been advised to draw up a list of key objectives for their respective Ministries/ Departments and identify major performance related milestones they would like to achieve during the current financial year as well as next year.

They have also been requested to draw up innovative action plans for improving the delivery of services related to their Ministries / Departments; prepare a human resource development plan for systematic staffing and processing of proposals for appointments; review rules and regulations and guidelines to identify and weed out redundant one; evolve and establish performance related rewards and punishment process and effective grievance redressal mechanism a where necessary in each Ministry / Department.

The secretaries have also been asked to specify measures to improve transparency and accountability in the functioning of their Ministries / Departments and to implement these measures forthwith.