File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government completes its first month in office this week, he has asked his office to multi-track three areas for immediate attention and action.
Apart from prodding the economy out of its slow crawl, the PM wants the bureaucrats in his office to improve relations between the Centre and state governments, address public complaints and grievances, and give the armed forces vital equipment that has been long-delayed.
The PM has already issued clear instructions to bureaucrats asking them to reduce delays, cut red tape and ensure greater accountability and efficiency. Now he wants civil servants in his office to ensure the urgent processing of complaints listed on social media accounts and websites of government departments, particularly if they relate to problems with flights, train tickets and journeys, telecom, banking, health and pensions.
A special cell has been formed in the Prime Minister's Office to monitor how quickly these complaints are resolved.
Through his campaign, the PM had vowed that if he were elected, he would respect and promote the federal structure of governance by improving the ties between the Centre and the governments of the country's 29 states.
Determined to improve upon the previous government's record in this area, the PM has ordered that any request from a state government for the Centre's attention or assistance that is three months old must be taken up immediately. Civil servants in his office have been asked to meet representatives from each state in turn. The cycle of meetings will be repeated every three months, sources said.
In response to repeated alerts from the armed forces about outdated and inadequate equipment, the PM has held a series of consultations with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and the chiefs of the Army, Air Force and Navy. They have been asked to list in order of priority which weapons they need; a plan that outlines how to best use funds to modernise the armed forces has also been ordered.
In a significant development, the Prime Minister has also decided to directly meet service chiefs once every month they can directly brief him on security concerns, if any. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rarely met service chiefs alone.
To improve morale, a plan to build a national war memorial in the capital near the majestic India Gate has been revived. The PM also wants the urgent implementation of the one-rank-one-pension policy which guarantees that soldiers of the same rank and years of service will receive the same pension irrespective of the year of their retirement.