As the BJP-led NDA government completes its first month in office later this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has zeroed in on three key areas where he wants the PMO to pay greater attention.
Mr. Modi has given top priority to streamlining the mechanism of redressal of public grievances, improving Centre-State relations and meeting the requirements of the armed forces. Sources said the PMO would have a special cell to monitor the progress in resolving issues relating to these three priority areas.
On Centre-State relations, the Prime Minister has directed his office that any request from a State government for assistance should not be kept pending. He wants senior PMO bureaucrats to regularly meet representatives from the States, sources said.
The Prime Minister has already been given detailed briefings by the chief of the each of the three wings of the armed forces – Army, Navy and the Air Force as well as the Defence Secretary. He has asked the three service chiefs and the Defence Ministry to furnish a list of their priorities on modernisation and requirements of weapons and other gadgets.
Mr. Modi also plans to meet the service chiefs once a month to get regular briefings on the security scenario. It is learnt that the Prime Minister has also favoured implementation of the one-rank, one-pension policy for the armed forces.
Other key areas where the PMO is likely to turn its attention is civil aviation, telecom, health, pensions and banking where it would give priority to the processing of complaints.
