People are impatient, they want us to deliver: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday called for better administrative coordination between states and the Centre for faster development of the country.

Addressing the First Annual Conference of Chief Secretaries in New Delhi on Monday, Dr Singh said, "I hope that in the time to come this annual conference will become a forum for useful and productive exchange of views between the Centre and the states. I compliment the Cabinet Secretary for taking the initiative of proposing this conference."

Emphasising that there are new challenges ahead, Dr Singh said, "The rising expectations of the people make them impatient with the speed at which we can deliver results. People today resent apathy, sloth, and corruption in any form and at any level of government more than ever before. There is clamour for accountability from all quarters -- the legislature, the judiciary and the media."

"Greater connectivity and greater integration of states in the national economy imply that what happens in one state has an impact on other states. There are problems, which require a response, which is coordinated not only between the affected states but also between the Centre and the states," he added.

"The central government has attached the highest importance to our growth being inclusive in nature. But India lives in states. Unless the states move ahead and move forward at a pace that is adequate to the challenges that we face, I think we cannot claim that we have delivered inclusive growth," he added.

Stressing on the rule of law, Dr Singh said, "The law and order machinery has to be sensitized to the key security concerns that affect us. Terrorism, insurgency and extremism need to be tackled with a firm but effective and sensitive hand. You have to be aware not only of local and regional happenings but also of pan-India and trans-border developments."

Dr Singh further said, "The development of a country is largely a function of how committed people who man the top administrative echelons of the country are to the challenges of faster and equitable development and therefore you shoulder very heavy responsibilities in getting our country moving forward at a pace, which we need to banish poverty, ignorance and disease from this ancient land of ours."