Gap between privileged and under-privileged must be removed:

Guv Hyderabad, Aug 29 (PTI) All India Services officersshould work with an aim to reduce the gap between privilegedand under-privileged sections in society, Governor ofTelangana and Andhra Pradesh ESL Narasimhan said today. "The root cause of the socio-economic problems is thepersistent gap between the privileged and under-privilegedsections of society. The civil servants should use their powerand authority, in a positive fashion, in order to reduce thisgap to provide a strong foundation for the growth trajectoryof the country," Narasimhan said. The Governor was addressing the inaugural function ofthe "91st Foundation Course" for All India Services andCentral Civil Services, conducted by Dr MCR HRD Institutehere, on behalf of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy ofAdministration, Mussoorie, and sponsored by Department ofPersonnel and Training. "Officers have to make a sincere effort to ensure thatfruits of economic development reach people belonging toweaker sections of society," he added. Narasimhan further said the civil service, consideredas the "steel frame" of the country, has delivered impeccablyin the past to gained global acclaim. "However, merely doing a good job is not enough," theGovernor said and called for concerted efforts for addressingthe wrong perceptions of different stake-holders and managingthe image of the civil service in a professional fashion. He also called upon the officers to find time to meetpeople with problems and make a sincere attempt to findsolutions for them with a sense of empathy. "The levels of literacy and education are on the riseand there is an explosion of expectations on part of thepeople from the civil servants. A face-to-face contact withthem is the mantra for instant and enduring success," hesaid. Narsimhan appealed to officers to do their dutysincerely, maintain highest levels of professional andpersonal integrity, and face extraneous pressures with courageand conviction. PTI GDK NSK KISBAS