New Delhi, April 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday urged senior civil servants and other government employees to build on the momentum created by record agricultural growth during the 11th Five-year-Plan.
Addressing participants at the 8th Civil Services Day function in the national capital, Dr. Singh said: The criticality of agriculture to good performance of our economy is pretty obvious. I am happy that in the 11th Plan we have achieved a record agricultural growth. We need to build on this momentum."
"I would not like to go into the specifics of what needs to be done to strengthen agricultural performance in the country as a whole, but, I do wish to point out that states should give greater attention to this vital sector of our economy, especially in the areas of agricultural research and extension services and selection of officers in their agriculture departments," he added.
"The agriculture sector deserves the best and brightest of our civil servants. We must also make concerted efforts for developing skills in our young men and women, both in rural and urban areas, to enable them to gain productive employment. This is the only way to reap advantages of our potential demographic dividend," Dr. Singh added.
"Our Government has launched a massive program of skill development, which I hope will be implemented effectively. I would also like to mention in passing the need for strengthening the implementation of our flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which by most accounts has been a success," the Prime Minister said.
"Even as we make efforts to strengthen the rural economy, we must keep in mind that with India's economic growth, there will be large movements of people from rural to urban areas. Management of urbanization, therefore, is an area which requires much greater attention on the part of all our planners," Dr. Singh said.
He said that in 20 years time, nearly 50 percent of India's population would be living in urban areas.
"We have, therefore, to ensure that our towns and cities provide public services of a high quality to their residents. To that end, much greater attention has to be paid to the modernization of the processes of municipal governance. This is the subject which has not received the attention it deserves. I urge, all our civil services also should be better equipped with skills for managing processes of urbanization and urban spaces," he said.
He said the Indian economy is passing through difficult times, but described it as a temporary downturn that "we should correct as quickly as possible."
He emphasized the need for boosting investment across sectors to help India emerge from its existing difficult situation.
In this regard, he said that the newly created Cabinet Committee on Investment had a significant role to play in ensuring the finalisation and activisation of far-reaching industrial and infrastructural projects.
"Many of you work in areas and organizations that have a direct bearing on the achievement of this task and I would urge you to give the maximum possible attention to it," Dr. Singh said.
He also dwelled on the issue of the management of national disasters, given that India has always been vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides.
"Climate change is likely to further accentuate the frequency and intensity of these natural disasters. Handling disasters requires a multi-disciplinary approach and specialized skills acquired over a long period of time. We ought to identify best practices, document them properly and disseminate them widely so that we are prepared when a disaster hits us," the Prime Minister said.
He concluded by saying that each of India's civil servants, whatever their seniority or assignment, has a very meaningful contribution to make to the society and the country, and occasions like the Civil, Services Day gives all of them an opportunity to reflect on their roles and performances, their successes and failures.
"I hope you will make full use of this opportunity to find even more efficient ways of discharging your responsibilities in the service of Indian people," Dr. Singh said. (ANI)
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