Babus beware! PM Modi calls for strict action on erring customs, excise officials

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took strong exception at complaints and grievances from people related to the customs and excise sector and asked for strict action against concerned officials. [caption id=“attachment_2591312” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PM Narendra Modi. Reuters[/caption] Modi, who chaired his ninth interaction through PRAGATI - Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation - urged all secretaries whose departments have extensive public dealing, to set up a system for top-level monitoring of grievances immediately. According to a report in The Times of India, the prime minister has told the secretaries to assess the functioning of the officials in their respective departments and even dismiss or cut their pension if they are found erring and not ready to change their ways of functioning. “Though he (the PM) specifically asked the excise and customs department to identify and take action against such officials, he said the message is for all secretaries and chief secretaries,” an official has been quoted as saying in the ToI report. Later in the day, Modi held a meeting of his council of ministers to review progress on schemes related to some ministries and laid thrust on faster delivery of government initiatives. According to the sources, the meeting reviewed schemes and government initiatives related to ministries such as agriculture, chemical and fertilizer and water resources. Such meetings were likely to be held every month, added the sources. The meeting to review implementation of schemes came a day after the government completed 20 months in office. The coming year is crucial for the government as it will be completing half of its term. The opposition has accused the government of being high on promises and low on delivery. It has also slammed the government over rise in prices of some food items such as pulses. BJP leaders have dismissed the allegations of the opposition and said that the slew of initiatives government were already showing impact and will show greater results in the coming days. In his interaction through PRAGATI, Modi reviewed the progress of vital infrastructure projects in road, railway, coal, power and renewable energy sectors spread over several states including Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. An official release concerning the PRAGATI said that among the projects reviewed were the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link, the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and the Jal Marg Vikas Project from Allahabad to Haldia. Modi also reviewed the progress of the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY). He reviewed implementation of the National Old Age Pension Scheme and emphasized the need to ensure that beneficiaries receive the payment on time. With IANS