Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

"Basic structural improvement needed in the way the government works" - Prime Minister

The Prime Minister exhorted the Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territory governments to provide leadership in restoring the �lan of the all-India civil services and help strengthen and modernize the country's administrative "steel frame".

The Prime Minister said it was his intention to seek "basic structural improvements to the way the government works" in the next two years. He emphasized the need for a "national perspective" in dealing even with "local problems." He urged senior officials to "think big and think innovatively" , to travel to villages for a better understanding of the ground reality and to " learn from facts".

Dr Manmohan Singh urged the Chief Secretaries to focus on improving the quality of development administration at the State and district levels. The thrust areas for state administrations across the country are agriculture, irrigation, and drinking water , infrastructure , education , health and urban renewal. The Prime Minister called for innovative ways in which government can deliver better quality services in each of these areas. He sought a transparent , honest and caring civil service.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of the all-India services of ensuring the unity and integrity of the country and the supremacy of the rule of law. He made a pointed reference to the internal security threats facing the country and urged civil servants to uphold the best principles of a professional civil service, working for the country without fear or favour.

The Prime Minister also called for increased professional disaster management, be it of natural calamities or civil conflict, and for improving fiscal management at the state level. He also urged Chief Secretaries to pay closer attention to agricultural development and modernization and functioning of cooperative sector.

The Prime Minister hoped the country's political leadership will give all-India services the respect that is their due and had advised Chief Ministers to encourage professionalism among the civil services and not to indulge in arbitrary transfer of officers.