Minister for Industries and IT K.T. Rama Rao, on Friday, sought to highlight the significance of how elected political representatives should be at the helm in terms of running the government.
“When we are the world’s largest democracy, political representatives will have to run the government,” he said, explaining how those elected and rooted are in a better position to grasp issues, and demand and plan remedial work compared to bureaucrats.
Mr. Rao, who was responding to queries from participants of the 8th batch of Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy (AMPPP) at the Mohali campus of Indian School of Business (ISB), said that IAS and IPS officers think they are better placed to understand the issues. “In India, bureaucrats are used to sitting in ivory towers and people coming to them and begging for permissions. That’s one thing that absolutely needs to change,” he said, adding that the role of executive, legislature and judiciary are well defined... [hence] they should respect each other and work for the betterment of the country.
Earlier, in his speech at the launch of the batch, the Minister shared Telangana’s growth journey and the success achieved by Telangana in various spheres ranging from the implementation of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, manifold increase in agriculture output, surge in IT exports as well as number of IT jobs to attracting investments under the TS-iPASS policy on time bound or deemed clearances for industries. Under the policy, 24,000 approvals have been issued, $50 billion investment attracted and 24 lakh direct job potential created.
He said that for India to become a developed country, the stress should be on the 3 ‘I’ mantra of innovate, infrastructure and inclusive growth. Also, the Centre should proactively explore and draw insights from successful policies implemented in various States across the country.
ISB in a release said that AMPPP is the flagship programme of its Bharti Institute of Public Policy and caters to mid-career and senior civil servants in India, empanelled by the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training and senior professionals from the private sector with substantial experience. The cohort of 2023-24 has 53 participants with an average work experience of 16 years and includes IAS, IPS, IRS, Indian Forest Service, Indian Railways Service, and Punjab State Civil Service offices, besides professionals from private organisations and a legislator from Telangana.
