The Vice President of India,M Venkaiah Naidu today called upon Civil Servants to be at the forefront in eliminating corruption and ensure sustainable and inclusive growth by providing good governance.Advising the civil servants to treat their profession as a public service, he wanted them to uphold integrity and honesty at all times. “Develop a passion to give your best and not just perform assigned duty in a mechanical and routine fashion,” he added .Interacting with officers of the All India Services, Central Civil Services, and Military Engineering Services, who are attending the Foundation Courses at MCRHRD institute in Hyderabad today, Shri Naidu pointed out that corruption was eating into the vitals of the system and asked the officials to take up the elimination of corruption as a mission.He urged them to focus more on eradicating poverty, preventing gender discrimination and removing illiteracy, apart from providing basic amenities in many rural areas.Opining that good governance was one of the key elements for India to achieve the desired growth trajectory, Shri Naidu wanted officers to take steps to provide efficient and effective delivery of public services by improving administrative efficiency.
Stating that it was the duty of every stakeholder to not only contribute his or her might to accelerate growth but must also ensure it to be inclusive and sustainable, he asked them to act as change agents to bring about a rapid transformation in the country’s growth narrative.
Pointing out that the ultimate aim of every government policy or scheme was to improve the living standards of the common man, he said, “You, the bureaucrats are the facilitators and implementers of the decisions taken by the government. You act as the bridge between the government and the people of this country,” he added.Expressing concern over the rising gap between Urban and Rural areas, Shri Naidu called for concerted efforts to bridge the divide and asked officers to attach high priority to agriculture. “All of you must spare a thought for the less fortunate and reflect on what needs to be done as the representative of the government in your domain,” he added.Shri Naidu asked all the officers to understand the nature, functioning, and role of the three tiers of governance – Central, State, and Panchayati Raj. He wanted the States and Centre to work together with the spirit of ‘Team India’ to ensure that the fruits of development reach the most deserving people.Shri Naidu asserted that despite the global slowdown, India continues to be a bright spot and one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. He said that by continuing growth-oriented reforms, India has the potential to become the third-largest economy in the world, in the coming years.Director-General of MCR HRD Institute, Shri B.P Acharya, IAS, Course Director, Shri Harpreet Singh, IAS, Brig. P.K.G. Mishra,CE (R&D) of Military Engineer Services (MES) were also present.