On Good Governance Day, Modi vows to deliver open, accountable administration

New Delhi: On 'Good Governance Day`, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said efforts are being made for "re-engineering" of government processes as part of the promise to provide an "open and accountable administration".

He said his government has worked over the last seven months with the mantra of 'Citizen-First' and it is committed to providing a transparent and accountable administration which works for the welfare of the common citizens.

"An open and accountable administration is what we had promised to deliver and we will do so.... I assure you, my countrymen that we will not let you down," Modi said in a message on 'Good Governance Day' being celebrated on the 90th birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"Today is the birthday of our beloved leader, our former PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On this occasion, we reiterate our commitment towards providing transparent, effective and accountable governance to the people of this country. Let us embark on this mission for good governance together," he said.

The Prime Minister said the government is working on a simpler internal work process manual, which would be delivered through an e-learning module.

"Government process re-engineering is yet another measure that we are pushing for. Ministries and Departments of the Government of India have been instructed to look into their work spheres, their internal processes and work on what and how to simplify and rationalise them," he said.

"Good Governance is the key to a nation's progress. Our government is committed to providing a transparent and accountable administration which works for the betterment and welfare of the common citizen," he said.

Describing 'Citizen-First' as the government's "mantra, our motto and our guiding principle", Modi said, "It has been my dream to bring government closer to our citizens, so that they become active participants in the governance process."

During the last seven months, the government has been consistently working towards this goal, he said.

Referring to the initiatives like starting web portals mygov.in and interact with the PM to reach to the people directly, Modi said the "unprecedented response" which these have evoked, "places a large responsibility upon us, and I assure you, my countrymen that we will not let you down".

"The effort to usher in an era of Good Governance has just begun, and begun on a very promising note. An open and accountable administration is what we had promised to deliver and we will do so," the Prime Minister said in his message.

He said his government considers redress of public grievances as a very important component of a responsive administration. "I have instructed all the Ministries to ensure that redress of public grievances receives the highest priority," he added.

An important step for Good Governance, Modi said, is simplification of procedures and processes in the government so as to make the entire system transparent and faster.

In this direction, he listed the steps taken by the government which include the push towards self-certification in place of affidavits and attestations and doing away with cumbersome and out-dated legislations.

"Already Appropriation Acts have been identified for repeal and more Acts are being reviewed," he said.

The Prime Minister said he strongly believes that technology can and must bridge the divide between the government and the citizens as technology is an empowering tool for the citizen and an accountability medium for the government.

"My government fully recognises the huge potential of this tool," he said, adding Digital India aims to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Proposed to be implemented in phases, Digital India is transformational in nature and would ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically, he said, adding it would also bring in greater accountability through mandated delivery of government`s services electronically.