— Photo: PTI
TACKLING TERROR: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Home Minister Shivraj Patil at a meeting with Chief Secretaries at his residence in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the recent incidents of terrorism in Mumbai and Kashmir had brought out the "extent of penetration of terrorist elements."

The Prime Minister asserted that his Government "cannot allow them to succeed and get away with their crimes."

Addressing the conference of State Chief Secretaries, Dr. Singh did some plain speaking in the backdrop of the July 11 terror attacks in Mumbai and Kashmir. "We need to gear ourselves up to meet these challenges. Business cannot be carried on as usual. We must recognise that past responses are inadequate in dealing with these problems which are of a different intensity, magnitude, scale and scope," he told top bureaucrats.

Describing the issue of law and order as the one of "immediate relevance and urgency," Dr. Singh said there could not be any development and progress in the absence of law and order and public security, a primary responsibility of the state, as all other responsibilities could come subsequently.

He said the country needed to marshal all its resources, utilise all available technologies improve the capabilities of manpower in meeting the challenges posed by terrorism. He described naxalism as probably "the single biggest challenge we have ever faced to our internal security."

"These threats have to be met firmly, with determination and with a will to destroy them. You will have to empower your police forces to be able to discharge their functions at higher levels of efficiency. You will have to show the necessary leadership in this regard. While we in Delhi will support you in all your efforts, you have to gear up your machinery to meet these challenges," Dr. Singh told the Chief Secretaries.

Asking them to uphold the values of honesty, integrity and professional excellence, the Prime Minister said clarity of vision, decisiveness in action and leadership by example were essential for effective governance. "And you must set the benchmarks for these. You must provide a framework whereby your subordinates can discharge their functions without fear or favour, feel secure and are rewarded for correct action," he told the country's senior bureaucrats.

Simplify procedures

Dwelling upon the theme of effective governance, Dr. Singh said a key problem citizens faced while interacting with any government organisation was red tape, whether it be cumbersome procedures, complicated forms, or, most importantly, an insensitive and unconcerned staff. "This is true irrespective of the organisation which a citizen has to deal with — the public health system, the public education system, the tax system, the public utilities or the police machinery," he said.

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