Use your work as opportunity to transform governance: PM to IAS officers

Don't restrict yourself to files but go to the field to understand the true impact of decision making.

This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advice to a group of senior IAS officers who met him yesterday, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a release today.

Modi interacted with over 80 additional secretaries and joint secretaries serving in the government of India. This was the second of five such interactions.

The prime minister said officers should not look on their work as just a duty, but an opportunity to make a positive transformation for governance in the country, the release said.

Modi urged them to use technology interventions to simplify governance processes. He asked the officers to focus their attention on  100 most backward districts of India, so that they can be brought up to the national average level on various development parameters the release said.

"Responding to observations made by the officers, the prime minister emphasised that officers must not restrict themselves to files, but go to the field, to understand the true impact of decision-making," it said.

In this context, he recalled the experience of officers in the post-earthquake reconstruction in Gujarat in 2001, the release added.

During the interaction, the officers shared their experiences on subjects such as performance based administration, innovation in governance, waste management, river and environment pollution, forestry, sanitation, climate change, value addition in agriculture, education and skill development.