Singh on prime time: I have lots more to do

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, made it clear on Monday that he was in no hurry to hang up his boots since he had many tasks to complete.

In his first media conference after the UPA-2 came to power, Dr Singh told hordes of journalists who had descended at the Vigyan Bhawan, “I have been entrusted with a job and it is incomplete. There is no question of my retirement."

At the same time, Dr Singh also indicated that he was willing to step down and make way for the younger generation if his party so wished. “Let me say that I sometimes feel that younger people should take over,” he remarked, when asked whether Mr Rahul Gandhi would be inducted in his Cabinet. “As and when the Congress partly makes that judgment, I will be happy to make place for anybody the Congress party decides.”

He went on to praise Mr Gandhi. “He is very qualified to hold a Cabinet post,” said Dr Singh. “I have discussed this with him on a number of occasions but he has always been reluctant to give a positive answer. He told me that he has to do things to strengthen the Congress.”

The Prime Minister also dismissed reports that things were not well between him and the UPA chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. “There's not an iota of truth in this,” he said.

When asked if the National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Mrs Gandhi would not amount to a super cabinet, Dr Singh replied: "It is not a super cabinet. It is an advisory body and has made very effective contribution in pushing forward social development.”

In his sedate manner, the Prime Minister also tackled a range of questions thrown at him relating to everything from Naxalism to Indo-Pak relations, terrorism to spiralling prices, and caste census to the spectrum controversy.

He reiterated his stance on the need to have the best possible relationship with Pakistan. “My effort is to try and reduce the gap between our two countries.... there have been problems... the trust deficit is the biggest problem," he said.

Elaborating on this, he added, “We’re going to make a beginning. The process has not moved forward (since 26/11) and I’m hopeful that this process can move forward. It is India’s obligation to make every effort to normalise relations with its neighbours”.

The Prime Minister also expressed his displeasure at his cabinet colleagues freely airing their views on issues concerning the government. “It is not good that ministers should air their views in public... If the views are aired in the Cabinet, I think that is the right thing to do,” he cautioned.

Asked about the 2G spectrum allocation controversy surrounding telecom minister, Mr A.Raja, the PM said that action would be taken against any person found guilty.

Dr Singh also reiterated his stance that Maoism was the biggest internal security challenge the country was facing in the last three years.

Asked about the union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram’s expression that he had a "limited mandate" in dealing with the Naxal issue, the Prime Minister said the home minister had already explained what he meant.

While noting that law and order was a state's responsibility, Dr Singh said that dealing with Naxalism required cooperation between the Centre and the states.

On the creation of new states, the PM said that there was “no agreement as of now” and that the demand for carving out Telengana had been referred to a committee.

When asked about the hanging of Parliament-attack convict Afzal Guru, the Prime Minister said that the law should be allowed to take its own course. As regards 26/11 terror-attack accused, David Headley, Mr Singh said that the highest authorities in the US had assured him that India would get access to him.

Dr Singh admitted that rising prices were a problem but added that by the year-end, inflation would drop by about five to six per cent. He also assured that the government’s medium term target is to achieve a growth rate of 10 per cent per annum.

To a question on whether he missed the Left’s “structured support” during this tenure, pat came the reply: “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

Asked to rate his government’s performance, Dr Singh said it was not “uchit” (correct) for him to give an assessment and that he would rather let the people and the media do this job. However, he did say that UPA-2’s first year in government was one of “reasonable achievement” though there is “always room for improvement and better outcome”.

Manmohan speaks up

I have been given this task. It is still unfinished. Till I finish the tasks, there is no question of retirement. As and when, the Congress makes that judgement, I will be happy to make place for anybody chosen by the party.”

The Agenda for future

* Target to achieve growth rate of 10 per cent per annum.
* Set up a National Social Security Fund for workers in unorganised sector with an initial corpus of Rs 1,000 crores.
* A draft National Food Security Bill under preparation.
* Working on systematic changes in national security system.
* Paying due attention to the modernisation and professional development of the police and security forces.
* Determined to tackle terrorism and ideological extremism.

On Telangana

There is no such proposal for creation of states (before the government); however, the matter (issue of creation of Telangana) has been referred to a committee under a very distinguished former judge of the Supreme Court (Justice B.N. Srikrishna)