Be agents of change, Modi tells civil servants

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Exhorting civil servants to be the agents of change and work enthusiastically as a team, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that public participation will ensure the success of any developmental programmes they plan for the country.

Speaking at the 10th Civil Services Day awards ceremony here, Modi said: "Tiredness is a mental state and the civil servants must stay energetic and work with a zeal to achieve the desired results".

The prime minister urged them to understand the "difference between a job and a service", saying theirs was not a job as the title - civil service - is self-explanatory.

Modi said civil servants were fortunate to have got the chance to serve the nation for their entire working life.

He also called for a "spirit of healthy competition" among district administrations to foster an atmosphere conducive for positive change.

"There should be healthy competition among the district administrations in the country in the discharge of their duties," the prime minister said.

If their districts lag behind and don't get noticed for good work, then those heading them must ask themselves why, he said.

The prime minister said the district administrations must try to win the trust of the people and be proactive.

"Only being an administrator and controller is not enough. Everybody at every level has to become an agent of change. Let us create an atmosphere where everyone can contribute. The energy of 125 crore Indians will take the nation ahead," Modi said.

He urged the civil servants to build teams and take their juniors along while executing various tasks as the latter have more energy and might also have new knowledge which the seniors lack.

He said his mantra of 'Reform to Transform' should be interpreted by civil servants as 'Reform to Perform to Transform'.

The prime minister said that if civil servants were able to perform, the transformation on the ground would be evident.

Modi also expressed concern over the drought-like situation in the country.

"I know about the drought situation in the country. There is shortage of water. But it is also true that a good monsoon is predicted. Why can't we use the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme) money to run a campaign for harvesting water in April, May and June?"

"Why can't we do desilting, dig new ponds and clean canals and use these for water harvesting? This will help in making ends meet even if there is no rain," Modi said.

The prime minister asked civil servants to be bold enough to experiment and look at new ways of achieving objectives in public interest.