Badal asks officials to change style of functioning

Chandigarh, Mar 5 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called for a ''back to the people'' approach to governance and stressed on a ''quick and comprehensive re-orientation of approach''.

Addressing a meeting of Financial Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries at the state Civil Secretariat here, he called upon the officials to recast their priorities in the light of the changed political climate in the state.

The Chief Minister declared that there would be a high premium on performance and that accessibility, responsiveness and accountability to the people would be the cardinal components of the new government's vision of governance.

Outlining the priorities of his government, he said that respect for rule of law and an unremitting pursuit of the goals of all round development and prosperity would form the centerpiece of the new regime. ''This agenda, would be implemented through governance which would be focused in its priorities, clear in its goals and firm in its approach,'' he said.

Emphasising the need for what he described as ''positive and constructive approach to governance'', Mr Badal said that they understand the requirements of the people and the state. Your job is to find out how these can be met and not give reasons why these cannot be,'' he said.

He said that the new government would approach its tasks with a fresh and open mind. There would be no place for any 'personal agenda' in this government. ''There will be no confrontation, no place for vendetta and corruption and zero tolerance for lack of commitment'', he stressed.

''Wherever there had been a deviation from rule of law in the past five years, law itself is strong and competent enough to deal with it and would be allowed to take its course'', he said.

He said that the government would not be found wanting in political will in carrying forward the agenda for the welfare of the people and the development of the state.

Mr Badal said that his government would expect the bureaucracy to understand that in a democratic set up, civil servants were mere tools for the implementation of the people's will as expressed through their elected representatives. This reminder had become necessary in the light of the people's experience over the past five years, he said.

''I expect you to remember that you are called civil servants and that 'civil' is the first part of this nomenclature'', he said while asking the officials to be 'civil' and treat themselves as 'servants' of the people.

He asked the officers to treat legislators and other representatives of the people with ''the highest respect and courtesy.'' The Chief Minister said that the new government expected each Secretary, departmental head and other officers to go through the various commitments made by the SAD-BJP combine to the people in their respective election manifestos and to work out concrete plans of action for the fulfillment of these promises.

He said that he would personally review the performance of each one of the departments in this respect on a regular basis.

UNI