Prime Minister Narendra Modi's top 10 priorities for the country are likely to be revealed on Thursday, said Nripendra Misra, in an interview to The Hindu Businessline after taking over as Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). "These, in Mr. Modi's characteristic style, will necessarily have to be implemented in a time-bound manner,' he added. Mr. Misra, who was hand picked for the new role in a surprise move, having neither worked for nor having met Mr. Modi earlier, asserted that the PMO will have to reflect the image, personality and commitment of the Prime Minister.

"The entire machinery will be geared up to fulfil the mandate of the new leader,' he said. The 1967 batch IAS officer and the former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman said he saw the PMO, which is set to become an important power centre in the new dispensation, as playing three main roles.

"Priority will be placed on implementation, catalysing and facilitating inter-ministerial issues, and addressing concerns relating to the economy.' Asked to outline the PMO's strategy in connection with infrastructure and policy reforms, Mr. Misra said it was for the PM to spell this out.

"However, personally, I think we need to ask why despite large investments, completed power projects are not operational, why the NHAI is unable to deliver on road building targets, and why despite India's rich natural resources, earnings from exports of minerals have come to a halt while coal is being imported.'

On what can be done to restore confidence among serving bureaucrats, who resort to strategic inaction to avoid the risk of being dragged into court cases because of controversial decisions taken by their political masters, Mr. Misra drew attention to Mr. Modi's leadership style in Gujarat.

"Mr. Modi does three things: he guarantees stability in tenure for as many as four to five years for competent officers, offers tremendous freedom to innovate and deliver, and takes personal ownership of all decisions,' he said. "The officials and secretaries are all padded up for their new innings,' he added.

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