The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that good things are starting to happen and called all the Secretaries in the Central Government to work decisively to build upon the momentum and positive atmosphere generated in the first five months of the new Government.
“We are one team. Let us bring openness in Governance, come closer and work together (Pehle paas paas aaiye; phir saath saath chaliye),”he told Secretaries in an informal meeting on Saturday evening. This was his second meeting with top bureaucrats after June 4.
Urging them to come up with come with good ideas and innovations, he asked all Government departments to pre-pone budget related processes by three months, so that the moment a new financial year begins on April 1st, work could begin as per the provisions of the new Budget in real-time. He also called for shifting Government emphasis from output to outcome.
Assuring them about political interference, he also asked Secretaries to work fearlessly in the interest of the nation. He expressed appreciation for the involvement in various subjects that the Secretaries had exhibited in the course of conversation, and said this augured well for the country.
The Prime Minister suggested that all Secretaries visit the place of their first posting for a couple of days, as this would provide them several new insights on policy-making.
Referring to the Swachhta Abhiyaan, the Prime Minister said that based on feedback he was receiving on social media, attitudes of people were beginning to change, and the entire mission was already becoming people-driven.
He said cleanliness is not about resources but about attitudes. He told Secretaries to study the ideas and suggestions being received on the MyGov platform. He said individuals giving good suggestions need to be identified, and teams can be built in this fashion.
According to a statement by the Prime Minister Office, Secretaries expressed their views on a range of issues in a free and frank manner.
They spoke of the initiatives they had taken over the last five months, and gave suggestions on what could be done in the near future, and beyond.
The meeting was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu besides National Security Advisor A K Dobhal, Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Nripendra Misha and Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister P K Mishra.