Author Chetan Bhagat at the conclave on Monday
As part of the new government's unconventional ways to pep up the bureaucracy, the new Minister for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal invited author Chetan Bhagat to speak to bureaucrats.
Speaking to the officers, Mr Bhagat thanked the minister. "Piyush is a good friend of mine, I used to lecture him as to how he needs to work. Today, I feel awkward; I was giving suggestions and advice to a man who is handling such important portfolios," the author said.
Adding that Mr Goyal is a "very good boss", Mr Bhagat said, "If you are genuinely passionate a lot can be done."
Mr Goyal too addressed the conclave and asked the officers to "give people confidence that we are responsive to their needs, we are concerned about their problems and we will act judiciously, in a transparent manner".
"All of us will have to look at ourselves as truly public servants in our effort to change the image of the government, change the image of 'Babu log' as people call us," the minister said.
He said that the concerns of the people should be addressed "in a polite, decent and very caring fashion" so that people start looking up at "you as a role model of good governance".
"I am getting so many phone calls telling me that three departments alone can add between one-and-a-half to two per cent to the economic growth.... we do not have the luxury of time. Result should be evident within this year," Goyal said.
Addressing the officials, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was the chief guest at the conclave, said the BJP-led NDA government is for poor and bureaucrats should serve them with compassion.
"We are for poor. They are the new aspirational class. They have given us mandate and we have to serve them. Compassion and feeling for the people, oneness with the people, duties for the people...That is I think that has to be the base of every officer," Mr Javadekar said.