Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Amid constant attack by the opposition on the issue of corruption, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said the government had taken several measures in the previous year to curb the malaise but there was still a long way to go.

He also regretted that the Lokpal bill could not be passed by parliament last year.

Addressing a conference of chief secretaries here, the prime minister said there was need for the central and state governments to work together to ensure better governance.

Recalling he had told chief secretaries last year that the government was committed to taking all legal and administrative measures to curb corruption in public life and improving the delivery of public services, he said that had “moved substantially forward in these areas in the last one year”.

“We have introduced in parliament a bill on Citizens Charter which will empower citizens to demand services with appropriate standards from government departments. The electronic delivery of services bill has also been introduced in parliament,” said Manmohan Singh.

He said the government had “built upon” its earlier initiatives such as the Right to Information Act, the Judicial Accountability Bill and the whistleblowers bill but there was a long way to go.

“We still have a long way to go in our efforts for ensuring transparency, accountability and probity in public life,” the prime minister said.

The prime minister’s remarks come amid continued attack on his government by the opposition on the issue of corruption. The government suffered embarrassment Thursday after Supreme Court cancelled 2G spectrum licences issued by it in 2008.

In his speech, the prime minister said it was unfortunate that the Lokpal and Lokayuktas bill could not be passed in the last session of parliament.

“But I do hope that we would soon be able to enact a strong Lokpal law. We are moving forward on framing a law for regulating public procurement. The National e-Governance Plan is being implemented to improve delivery of services,” he said.

He said government had made rapid progress in providing Aadhaar identity numbers to about 13 crore residents, which would help in eliminating leakages, adding the coverage of an additional 40 crore residents under the Aadhaar scheme has been approved.

Terming the food security bill a “historic step”, he urged the states to speedily reform the public distribution system (PDS) so that the government is in a position to implement the legislation when it is passed in parliament.

He said the country faced diverse challenges and that he had earlier grouped these into five broad categories - livelihood security, realisation of economic security, energy security, ecological security and concerns with national security.

“It is important that all of us have a clear understanding of these challenges. Also, to effectively overcome them, the centre and states need to work together,” Manmohan Singh said.