Narendra Modi slams UPA for undermining nation's federal structure

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Centre today for undermining the federal structure of the state in his blog.

"The credit for establishing the civil service in Independent India goes to Sardar Patel. He wanted and argued for a federal civil service, mainly to protect the unity and integrity of the country," Modi wrote on his blog, on Civil Service Day.

"However, Sardar Patel's vision of creating a federal service could not be achieved. This is because the rulers thereafter wanted to control it and use it in a manner desired by them. This problem reached unbearable limits during the tenure of the present UPA government," Modi said.

"There is a major difference between the civil service of the British Raj and that of the Indian Republic. The British established the Indian civil service to protect and consolidate their rule in India. Whereas, the civil service established in post-Independent India was meant to serve the people in a democratic framework of governance," Modi said.

He said civil servants still have a large role to play and their task is incomplete.

"Unfortunately, Sardar Patel did not get time to re-orient civil servants for the next task - socio-economic integration of the country. Though, civil servants largely played their given roles, their task is still incomplete," Modi said.

The issues of security and integrity of the country remain equally important, he said, adding that efficiency and effectiveness in development administration is the major need of the hour.