New Delhi: Finance Minister P Chidambaram today (Aug 6, 2004) favoured a national model on the basis of best practices adopted by various States in different sectors to improve delivery system in the country.

"We are capable for much better governance. Yet we tend to fail in governing the country," Chidambaram said addressing the India Today conclave on 'State of the States' in New Delhi.

Citing the excellence of delivery systems in certain States education in Kerala, public distribution system in West Bengal, healthcare in Tamil Nadu and food for work in Maharashtra he said there are lessons to learn from these States and extrapolate this to evolve a national model to improve the overall delivery system in the country.

"There has not been any churning of the ranks of States in terms of overall development," he regretted and added that States which were doing well continue to do so while laggards continue to remain at the bottom of the ladder.

But Chidambaram was happy to note that some churning was taking place in infrastructure development in backward States.

He said that the Government was willing to provide more funds to the backward States to enable them to climb up the ladder but for that the delivery system should improve.