New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on January 12 urged the Governors to play a "pro-active" role in the state administrations with a "total sense of partnership."

"The Prime Minister underscored the need for Governors to play a proactive role in the state administration with a total sense of partnership. According to him, it was, in the existing set-up itself, possible for the Governors to be a full-fledged participant in the development process," A Rashtrapati Bhavan release quoted Vajpayee as telling the concluding session of the two-day conference of Governors.

The Prime Minister stressed the need for evolving employment-oriented economic programmes and assured resources would not be a constraint.

What was needed was effective and purposeful implementation with a sense of involvement and participation at all levels, he said.

Kalam had, in his opening remarks on January 11, stated that "Governors have a positive role to play to bring about unity of minds."

Stating that for the first time a road map had been laid down for achieving the goal of a "developed India", Vajpayee said it was being discussed at all fora, including the Chief Ministers' conference, the National Development Council (NDC) and now in the conference of Governors.

He said since Independence various programmes had been launched for alleviation of poverty and take the nation on the path of progress and prosperity.

Vajpayee said his government was committed to making India a developed country by 2020 and concurred with the opinion of the President that all people should actively participate in reaching this goal.

He said the deliberations at the conference were meaningful as it enabled the government to know about the developmental works being carried out in states and also provided a forum for exchange of views on various issues.

Summing up the conference, President A P J Abdul Kalam said everything possible would be done by all concerned and at all levels to accelerate the process of making the country and its people happy, prosperous and secure.

Participating in the discussion on the vision for a developed India, the Governors felt that to achieve this by 2020, it was necessary that good governance should be provided at every level. The implementation of various policies and programmes depended on this, the Governors said.

They suggested that there should be transparency in governance, meaningful schemes for developing the full potential of youth, a forward looking National Youth Policy and implementation of comprehensive economic development programmes.

Among those who participated in the Conference were Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, deputy chairman Planning Commission K C Pant and several Union ministers.

PTI