Addressing trainee officers on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil asked civil servants to work towards making the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) an “Indian Admirable Service”.

The President pointed out, “Bureaucracy, at times evokes an image of red-tapism and opaqueness. This needs to be negated by you. There is also a feeling that money is being pilfered from the system and as a result, it does not reach beneficiaries in full measure. This is a serious concern. Therefore, as officers, you must see that resources are fully utilised for the intended purpose, whether it is a road, school or hospital. “

She impressed upon the trainee officers the need to be sincere in their work and tell their staff the same. “Corruption is a cancer you have to eliminate from the administrative machinery,” she asserted.

President Patil also cautioned the officers against letting the power and facilities accompanying their posts make them inaccessible to people. “You shall be judged by what you do for the welfare of the people. That will be the only yardstick of your contribution to the nation,” she underlined.

Asserting that the government was committed to bringing about positive changes in the lives of the people and creating growth opportunities for all, she said that it was the civil servants who were the implementers of various schemes and the ones in constant touch with people. “ Your work, therefore, should be development-centric and your attitude people-friendly. The business-as-usual attitude must change. We need officers who can find innovative means within the system to make it responsive to the needs of the people,” she said.