India: PM says will work to provide a honest, more efficient govt

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Wishing to put behind a "very difficult" year, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today acknowledged that concern about corruption has moved to the centre stage and vowed to personally work to provide an "honest and more efficient government". In his New Year message to the nation, he noted that corruption was a serious problem that needs multi-dimensional response of which Lokpal and Lokayuktas (ombudsmen at the level of both the centre and in the constituent states) are an important part. He said it was "unfortunate" that the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill could not be passed by Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament, but said the government was committed to its enactment. "The year that has just ended was a very difficult year for the world," Singh said, citing the economic crisis, socio economic tensions, "political upheavals in many developing countries" and "a revolution of rising expectations fostered by the extraordinary reach of the electronic media and the connectivity provided by new social networking platforms." These issues kept governments around the world "on their toes", he said, adding that "we in India have had our share of problems." Talking in the context of India specifically, Singh said the economy slowed down, inflation edged up and "concern about corruption moved to the centre stage". Counselling against despondency, he said, "we must address the new concerns that have arisen while remaining steadfast in our commitment to put the nation on a development path which ensures rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth. "I want to assure you all on this New Year's day that I personally will work to provide an honest and more efficient government, a more productive, competitive and robust economy and a more equitable and just social and political order," Singh said. Dwelling on the issue of corruption, the Prime Minister termed it as a "serious problem" which calls for a multi-dimensional response. "New institutions such as Lokpal and Lokayuktas are an important part of the solution and we have initiated the process for establishing them." Underlining that it was "only one part of the solution", he said, "we also need reforms in systems of governance which would increase transparency and minimise discretion so that the scope of misgovernance is reduced." He said the government has taken several "transformational" initiatives in this regard which will be "recognised as such down the line". In this context, he listed introduction of Bills on Citizen's Charter and Judicial Accountability in Parliament. "These initiatives will take time to have full effect and we must, therefore, be patient," he counselled. The long message identified five key challenges - livelihood security, (education, food, health and employment), economic security, energy security, ecological security and national security and the Prime Minister said "we must work together as a nation" to address these. PTI