Make national interest sole basis: PM Narendra Modi to civil servants

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged bureaucrats to make national interest the sole basis of their every decision, saying the country has put its faith in them and they must uphold that trust. Addressing bureaucrats on the Civil Services Day here, Modi said it is the duty of civil servants to analyse whether a political party in power is using taxpayers' money for its own benefit or for the nation.

The prime minister also hailed the contribution of civil servants to nation building and said India's rapid development would not have been possible without their active participation. In his nearly 33-minute speech, Modi urged "each and every" government employee, whether at state or central level, to ensure national interest is the sole basis of every decision they take.

"As the world is saying that India's time has arrived, there is no time to waste for the bureaucracy of the country. The country has put its faith in you, work while maintaining that trust. National interest should always be the basis of all your decisions," he said.

Speaking on the theme of this year's Civil Services Day, 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India), he said the concept is not limited to modern infrastructure. "It is important for Viksit Bharat that India's government system supports the aspirations of every Indian and every government servant helps every citizen in realising their dreams and the negativity that was associated with the system in the previous years turns into positivity," he said.

Modi said the motto of his government is "nation first, citizen first" and its priority is prioritising the deprived. He told the civil servants that there are two approaches to life -- first, getting things done and second, letting things happen. "The first is an active attitude and the second reflects a passive attitude. People with faith in getting things done take ownership in a proactive manner and become the driving force of their teams. With this burning desire to bring change in the lives of the people, you will be able to leave behind a memorable legacy. You will not be judged by what you have done for yourself but by what changes you have brought in the lives of the people," he said. Therefore, Modi said, good governance is the key. "People-centric governance solves problems and gives better results," he added.