Let national interest be sole yardstick: PM Modi to bureaucrats

Mukesh Ranjan

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New Delhi, April 21

Noting that civil servants should make national interest the sole yardstick for their decision-making process, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked them to ensure that ruling parties do not “misuse” public money for “their own publicity and expansion”.

Addressing bureaucrats here on the occasion of Civil Services Day, Modi said: “It is a fact that political parties are an integral and inalienable part of democracy, but you have to see and analyse whether the ruling political parties are using taxpayers’ money for publicity and their own expansion.”

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Though the Prime Minister did not name any political party, his remarks are being seen in the context of his earlier jibe on “revdi culture” targeting Opposition parties, especially the AAP.

In his 30-minute speech, Modi hailed the contribution of civil servants to nation-building and said India’s rapid development would not have been possible without their active participation.

“As the world is saying that India’s time has arrived, there is no time to waste for the bureaucracy. The country has put its faith in you, work while maintaining that trust. National interest should always be the basis of all your decisions,” the Prime Minister said.

Mentioning the theme of this year’s Civil Services Day, ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India), he said the concept was not limited to modern infrastructure. “It is important for ‘Viksit Bharat’ that India’s government system should support the aspirations of every Indian and every government servant should help every citizen realise their dreams. The negativity that was associated with the system in the previous years should be done away with,” he said.

Saying that there are two approaches to life — first, when you get things done and, second, when you let things happen — the PM said: “The first is an active attitude and the second reflects a passive attitude. You should follow the first one.”

Recalling the words of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who termed bureaucracy the steel frame of the country, Modi said it was time to ensure that the dreams of youth were not crushed and taxpayers’ money was not destroyed.