Efforts on to protect bona fide bureaucratic decisions: Prez

As government introduces stricter and sterner measures to check corruption, President Pranab Mukherjee today said that efforts are being made to protect bona fide decisions taken by bureaucrats in public interest and inspire confidence in the civil service.
Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament, he said the government is following the principle of 'maximum governance, minimum government' by reducing the decision-making layers.
"While introducing stricter and sterner measures to deal with corruption, effort is being made to ensure that sufficient safeguards are in place to protect bona fide decisions taken in public interest and to inspire confidence in the civil service," the President said.

"Maximum governance, minimum government is the guiding principle of my government. With an aim to take governance to the doorstep of the poorest of the poor in remotest areas, focus is on simplification of official procedures and reducing the decision-making levels in government by leveraging technology," he said.
The system of Group of Ministers (GoMs) has been dispensed with and emphasis is on swift decision-making, the President said.
Mukherjee said the government is firmly committed to engaging people in the process of governance and policy-making.

"Mygov online platform, a path breaking initiative, has been launched. This platform has ensured public participation in decision-making and ideation of various national flagship programmes like Swachh Bharat Mission, Namami Gange, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and NITI Aayog," he said.

The Centre has envisioned an ambitious umbrella programme, Digital India, to prepare India for technology- based transformation and citizen-centric transparent governance with service orientation, Mukherjee said.
Aadhar-based attendance system and Jeevan Praman, Aadhar- based digital life certificate portal, have shown that innovative use of technology can make enormous difference, he said.
"Measures are being taken to accomplish digital inclusion in rural areas, small towns, north-east and other remote areas, opening up immense job opportunities in these areas. Promoting manufacturing of electronic goods has been an area of thrust," Mukherjee said.