E-Paper
Be punctual, avoid appointing relatives, PM tells ministers
The prime minister also asked the ministers to be careful about the remarks they make in public. He asked them to make only those promises that can be kept.
Zero tolerance for tardiness was the message Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent to his council of ministers at a meeting on Wednesday where he emphasized that ministers need to come to work by 9.30 am. Modi also asked ministers to avoid appointing relatives or close friends as advisors or to key positions.
According to a minister who attended the meeting, the prime minister emphasized the need for those in high office to be punctual.
“Union ministers should everyday come to office on time -- that is 9.30 am -- while they should also maintain the highest standard of personal conduct. That was the message that the prime minister delivered. He also emphasised that ministers should always strictly avoid the tendency of appointing relatives or close friends to committees or important positions,” the minister said, requesting anonymity.
The prime minister has consistently emphasized these values, which he himself practices, the minister added.
The prime minister also asked the ministers to be careful about the remarks they make in public. He asked them to make only those promises that can be kept.
According to another person aware of what transpired at the meeting, the prime minister asked the ministers to reach out to people from Kashmir who reside in their constituencies and help them in case they face problems. He stressed the need to curb single-use plastic and called for a campaign against it.
Modi also called for better coordination between Cabinet ministers and ministers of state. He said ministers should interact with officials across hierarchies and not restrict their interactions to secretaries or top officers.
In the nearly two-hour long meeting, several presentations were also made.
Home minister Amit Shah gave a presentation on the situation in Kashmir and also dwelt at length on the move to nullify Article 370, which effectively revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a detailed presentation on the recent economic measures announced by her. The government may soon come out with a package to set up infrastructure for implementing over 100 central laws in Jammu and Kashmir.
