Zero tolerance for corruption with regard to dev schemes: PM

Pitching for "practical and pragamatic" approach for development of naxalism-affected areas, PM Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said there must be "zero tolerance for corruption" in implementation of schemes intended for these regions. 

Addressing a day-long meet on naxalism-hit areas in New Delhi, he said there was a need for ensuring that monitoring takes care of any wrongdoing in the process of development.

"As an administrator, we must have zero tolerance for corruption. We must demolish the invisible wall between them (people of naxalism-affected areas) and us," Singh told collectors of 60 naxal-hit districts gathered at the meet.

He emphasised the need for winning the "trust of people" in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas and said the lessons learnt from the grassroots should be the key elements in the 12th Five Year Plan.

Noting that lack of security is the biggest constraint in development of the LWE areas, the Prime Minister said "practical and pragmatic" steps need to be taken to meet this challenge.

He said many of development programmes in LWE areas cannot be implemented as intended because of security concerns.

"Therefore the struggle to give a modicum of security to those who are engaged in development process in these difficult areas must go hand in hand with emphasis on development as traditionally understood," he said.

Noting that lack of development leads to frustration and a sense of alienation among the inhabitants leading to lack of trust, the Prime Minister said, "the sense of alienation is to be converted into a sense of belongingness."

Coining a new slogan -'people's development in the hands of people, he said the government programmes and policies must ensure that people of these areas have "equitable share in the prosperity" of the country whose economy is rapidly growing.

"If we can find a way to ensure that development programmes are delivered with complete honesty and the right intention, I do not see why these will not be accepted," Singh said.

"The livelihoods we promote must be sustainable on the ground and not on paper alone. They must be suited to the local aspiration," Singh said.

He pressed for "inbuilt flexibility" in implementation of Integrated Action Plan (IAP) in naxalism-affected districts so that field officers are in a position to overcome challenges peculiar to a district.

"Our programmes must be sensitised to include different needs of the people," the Prime Minister said.

He emphasised that no amount of development funds will be adequate in making a different development status of people "unless and until we win the trust of the people and inculcate in them a sense of ownership over the developlment proces".

Singh said the pre-requisite for any intervention to be successful is that people own the programmes meant for them and are involved in the planning as well as in implementation process.

If development has to be meaningful, it has to be in tune with people's requirements, he said.