Dont be routine; Develop passion towards duty, VP tells civil

Vice President M Venkaiah Naiduon Friday exhorted civil services officers to treat their profession as a public service, uphold integrity and honesty at all times and develop a passion towards duty.

Interacting with officers of the All India Services, Central Civil Services, and Military Engineering Services, who are attending foundation courses at the state-owned MCRHRD institute here, he asked them to be at the forefront in eliminating corruption and ensure sustainable and inclusive growth by providing good governance.

The officers of government are the most valuable and trusted partners in developing all regions, he said.

"A civil servant, like all of us Indians, owes allegiance to the Constitution and consequently has a fundamental duty to strive hard to create a just society with equal opportunity for all citizens...

Develop a passion to give your best and not just perform assigned duty mechanically and routinely," an official release quoting the Vice President, said.

Naidu urged the officers 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, Naidu wanted officers to take steps to provide efficient and effective delivery of public services by improving administrative efficiency.

He pointed out thatthe ultimate aim of every government policy or scheme was to improve the living standards of the common man.

Expressing concern over the rising gap between urban and rural areas, the Vice President called for concerted efforts to bridge the divide and asked officers to attach high priority to agriculture.

He wanted the states and the Centre to work together with the spirit of 'Team India' to ensure that the fruits of development reach the most deserving people.

Naidu asserted that despite the global slowdown, India continues to be one of the bright spots 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 coming years.