Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday asked the Congress-ruled states to provide an administration known for "austerity" and called for further empowering institutions that have been set up for ensuring probity in public life.
Setting the tone for the conclave of Congress Chief Ministers in Chandigarh in her inaugural address, she said there was a need for vast improvement in the functioning of public utilities, particularly in education and health sectors, which would require investment and changes in structure and procedures.
Sonia emphasised on the need for breaking the "stranglehold" of contractors and middlemen in development programmes who are "often in nexus with bureaucrats and politicians."
She advocated transparency in procurement through public contracts, and warned that if this was not done "the party will be negatively affecting our electoral prospects."
Decrying "factionalism" in the party, Sonia asked the Congressmen to rise above personal ambitions in the "larger cause of the party, in the service of all people, especially of the deprived, the disadvantaged and the discriminated."
She also asked the Congress governments in states to closely associate the party organisation in policy formulation, monitoring and implementation.
"Our party workers must be made aware of and informed fully at every stage on all we are doing. Otherwise, how will they propagate our accomplishments effectively,"
The Congress president said very often, party workers got a feeling that "once we are in government, we neglect them" and observed that "political mobilization will give them a sense of involvement and participation."
She said, it will also enthuse them to work for much wider social mobilization which was essential for success of
development programmes and sustaining popular support.
"I believe in taking our manifesto commitments seriously. I believe that our pledges must be fulfilled. I believe that
we must all be held accountable for the implementation of the promises we have made to the people," Gandhi said, adding "I see no reason why progress reports should not be shared by you (Chief Ministers) with the public every two months."
Talking about the Common Minimum Programme, the United Progressive Alliance chairperson said it mostly reflected the Congress manifesto For the 2004 Lok Sabha election.
The chief ministers would be presenting their progress reports on implementation of the CMP during the conclave.
"Achievement of the CMP are therefore, naturally, the fulfillment of our own objectives," she said.
Noting that the experience of coalition politics at the centre was new for her party, Sonia said such an arrangement had made it all the more necessary to "carve out a niche" so that the people knew about the "unique contribution" of the Congress.
"The issue of coalitions is important when we speak of the political context," she said.
Asserting that law of the land should be implemented against those who disturb social peace without "fear or favour," the Congress president said a significant new law on communal harmony would soon be introduced in Parliament.
"I would urge all of you to adopt it speedily as soon as it is passed," she told the 15 Congress chief ministers
Sonia said she attached highest importance to the setting up of Administrative Reforms Commission. "The government has to work better. Procedures have to be simplified."
She observed that success depends crucially on innovations in delivery system and said, "these have to be carried out largely by the state governments themselves."
Asserting that "business as usual" approach was "simply unacceptable", the Congress chief said, "we must look at all bold new initiatives as opportunities for bringing about radical change in the way we implement development schemes and programmes."
Defending the Value Added Tax, the Congress president said its success is crucial for generating additional resources for social welfare programmes.
On the issues of Naxalism and North-East insurgency, she said, "wanton killing of innocent men, women and children cannot be condoned" but at the same time "channels of dialogue" have to be kept open.
"We have to better understand and come to grips with the deeper socio-economic factors at work," Sonia said, noting that functioning of the police and security forces had to be improved simultaneously.
Referring to the landmark national Rural Employment Guarantee Act, she said it would soon be launched in 200 districts. She said the government was now embarking on an ambitious social security package for workers in the unorganised sector.
Sonia said the party cadres, including that of the frontal organisations, have to be galvanized in a big way to explain to people what these legislations were all about.
"They have to network with social action groups and community-based organisations for social audit and monitoring. They must proactively use the Right to Information Act to demand transparency and accountability in implementation," she advised.
The Congress president said while the government and other agencies at the centre and the states were responsible for the implementation of programmes, the party organisation must own them and play a pivotal role in their monitoring and
implementation.
While it was relatively easy for the party organisation to gear up in states where Congress was not in power, the situation was reverse in states were the party was in power, she added.
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