Dispel air of despondency, says PM in new year message

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Against the backdrop of a series
of scams, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday
night, pitched for a "new beginning" in 2011, saying the "air
of despondency" should be dispelled as efforts would be
redoubled to cleanse the governing processes.
In a new year message, Singh said it was time to take
stock of the year goneby and of the challenges that lie ahead
and asked people to have faith in democracy as it has the
"capacity to deal with infirmities and shortcomings" through
course correction.
"Let us make a new beginning to the year. Let us dispel
the air of despondency and cynicism," he said while wishing
the people a happy new year.
Assuring people that he and his government would work
with renewed resolve for their welfare, he said, "we will
redouble our efforts to deal effectively and credibly with the
challenges of inflation, clearnsing our governing processes,
national security and making our delivery system work for the
aam aadmi."
He underlined the need for believing in the "resilience
of our democracy and its capacity to deal with infirmities and
shortcomings through course correction."
The message from the Prime Minister has come in the
backdrop of several scams like those related to 2G spectrum
allocation and CWG, hitting the government which has put it on
the backfoot.
It has also come at a time when there was growing
concern over the rising inflation and the path ahead for the
Congress-led coalition seemed clearly uphill. PTI