Jan. 26: Noted industrialist and Wipro chairman, Mr Azim Premji, who was awarded for the Padma Vibhushan this year on Tuesday, said he is “extremely disappointed” about the performance of the government at the Centre.
Mr Premji, who along with a number of eminent personalities had recently written an open letter on a “governance deficit”, said they would focus on the “complete breakdown in public governance across the board”.
“I am extremely disappointed. I think it is a national calamity and is personally very devastating because one had so much confidence when they (UPA-II) came in,” he told television channels when asked whether the present government was “unable to deliver”.
“But I think, it has reached a point of catharsis. And when something reaches a point of catharsis, there seems to be no alternative but to change. I am optimistic,” he said.
He said the group (of eminent personalties) would follow up the matter with “fairly concrete” action recommendations as to what can lift the level of governance and make it more focused.
“We think it is important. We have to focus attention on the complete breakdown in public governance across the board, whether it be government, or businessmen, or traders,” he said. “One has reached a point in public governance where one has to take stock... Enough is enough, we have to reform ourselves. If we don’t do that, we are not going to leave children behind us proud of the country, despite 8-9 per cent (economic) growth,” Mr Premji said.
Recently, a group of businessmen, including Mr Premji, Mahindra & Mahindra chairman, Mr Keshub Mahindra, HDFC chairman, Mr Deepak Parekh, former RBI governors, Mr M. Narasimham and Mr Bimal Jalan, among others, had expressed concern over a series of scams that pointed toward a “governance deficit”.