PM Asks Ministers For ‘Performance Report’

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to test all his ministers, Manmohan Singh on Friday demanded his men submit a ‘performance report’ for his personal

monitoring. The deadline for submission given by the PM is November 30.

The Prime Minister’s message, which was conveyed in a letter written by Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrashekhar, is for all ministries stating that each one of them will have to submit a performance report for the PM to have a close check on each minister.

Reacting to the same, ministers have voiced their opinion with most of them welcoming this move by the PM.

Sporting Minister MS Gill said, “I will reply once I get the PM’s letter.” Others like former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh also welcomed the move saying, “I think that is a welcome step and we all welcome this initiative taken by the Prime Minister. I think it will create a good image of the UPA and the ministers; they have to perform.”

Some believe the people are the ultimate evaluators. Farooq Abdullah, New and Renewable Energy Minister said, “I don’t know anything about it. I have not been asked. I think it is just the ministers themselves whose performance is seen by the public itself. Public knows who is performing and who is not performing.”

But for now, it is the Prime Minister, who wants to grade his minister’s performance, yet the jury is out on whether it will improve governance on the ground.

After the recent embarrassment to the government where it was forced to back down by the Opposition on the sugarcane price ordinance, clearly the blamegame between different ministries is still on. However, it remains to be seen how a theoretical performance grading system will work or will it just be another governance move just on paper?

All Promises fulfilled by UPA: Rahul Gandhi

Wardha: While launching his poll campaign in Wardha district of Maharashtra, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday presented the UPA government’s report card on its  five-year-rule and appealed the voters to vote in favour of the Congress party.

Praising the Congress–led UPA government of Dr Manmohan Singh, Rahul said, “It has fulfilled most of the promises it made to you. The nation has progressed immensely and achieved a lot under the Congress rule.”

The young Congress leader also extended his full support to the Prime Minister by saying, “The UPA government has launched several schemes for the benefit of the poor and the downtrodden. It has signed the crucial nuclear deal for your own benefit and secured your future.”

Making his point further, Rahul said, “The downtrodden need a government like the one run by the Congress-led UPA, which pays heed to their concerns and reaches the poor unlike the others (BJP), which talk the language of rich.”

The Congress leader also launched a scathing attack on the NDA led by the main opposition BJP for dividing the country on communal lines.

“The Congress is a unifying force. It’s a party for the poor and the downtrodden. The UPA has united the country where as the BJP has divided the nation,” Rahul stated while addressing a large gathering of supporters.

Pitching high in favour the Congress party, Rahul said, “The NDA has not introduced any scheme for the benefit of the poor. The Congress party is guaranteeing jobs for at least 100 days.”

Rahul concluded by making an emotional appeal to the voters to vote the Congress party back to power since “it was the only party, which viewed the country from a common man’s point of view.”