Manmohan dissatisfied with UPA’s performance

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday gave six marks out of 10 to the performance of his United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government even as Congress president Sonia Gandhi praised his work.

"But I have never been satisfied with a 60 percent! I do sincerely believe that we can do better. In the coming year that will be our endeavour," Manmohan Singh told Congress Working Committee (CWC) members here as the country's oldest party took stock ahead of the first anniversary of the coalition government it leads.

The Prime Minister, who praised Gandhi for successfully guiding the Congress and the coalition, said that it was her "mature, humane and forward-looking leadership" that made the coalition government possible, especially with the Left front.

"Never before has the Congress party had to deal with the challenge of forging a coalition, and running a government on that basis through such uncharted waters. Our party's historical experience with running a coalition government was limited," Manmohan Singh told the party's highest decision-making body.

Urging party members to work for a pan-Indian political party, he said: "We need a more dedicated and energetic government. We have to constantly nurture our political roots and widen our political base."

"We must water every corner of the field so that every root of our party is revived and the harvest is full and bounteous. Such are the challenges before the government and the party," Manmohan Singh said.

Expressing hopes for a better tomorrow, he said: "We have come through many trials of strength and tests of fire and our resolve to make the UPA work has been steeled by this experience."

Listing out his government's achievements in the social sector, economic development and foreign policy, Manmohan Singh said the government had still a long way to go in labour reforms and emphasised on liberalisation of investment policy for employment generation.

"We must do more to protect the interests of workers in the unorganised sector, improve their working conditions and give them social security even as we create a more competitive environment for the organised sector," he said.

"We must reduce wasteful subsidies and divert these resources into investment and employment generation. There is an urgent need for the restructuring of public expenditure.

"If we want to generate resources for investment and employment generation then we must make bold to generate revenues and alter the profile of expenditure. These are easier said than done."

He said the country needed an efficient public sector run by professional and competent managers.

While Manmohan Singh sought Gandhi's leadership to take the party to a glorious future, the Congress president appreciated him for "good work".

With the Prime Minister by her side, Gandhi told reporters after the CWC meeting that the party was satisfied with the performance of the government.

"We have all expressed satisfaction with the work done by the government," she said with a smile. "We congratulated the Prime Minister and his colleagues in the government."

Gandhi said 25 CWC members spoke during the conclave, called just six days ahead of the first anniversary of Manmohan Singh's government.

The CWC, which is meeting for the last time before a new panel takes over, also decided to hold June 9 the election for a new Congress president - seen as just a formality for re-electing Gandhi.

Manmohan Singh and Gandhi are due to present the UPA's progress report Sunday.

The CWC also held discussions on internal squabbling that has affected its party units in various states, besides making sharp observations on the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

One of the key issues was to improve communications and coordination between ministers and workers, and making ministers more accessible to workers, it felt.

The panel, chaired by Gandhi, included some Congress Chief Ministers as special invitees.