Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the public servants to shun the “red tape” culture and take up projects which would yield benefits for the country and its people.

“Once there was a red tape culture; now we are using white tape [in public office files], but it doesn't imply that the work will be quicker for using the white tape as the red tape [culture] still exists,” she said.

The PM was addressing a programme marking the inauguration of National Public Service Day 2018 and distribution of Public Administration Award 2018 in the city's Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

She asked the public servants to eliminate the “red tape” culture and not to put government works on hold. “Make sure that no work remains stuck, no work should be kept aside. It happens at times that a public servant doesn't show much interest in a particular file and it is kept on the table. Sometimes the public servant forgets about that file or loses it.”

She mentioned that government officials come up with some projects to spend public money unnecessarily which will have less impact or effectiveness; or the people are unlikely to get any benefit from it.

Hasina directed the public servants to think first about what results and benefits their works would bring in for the country and its people. “You have to think those first...you have to work in that manner and think about the welfare of the grassroots people."

She said there was a time when the public servants used to think they would get their salaries, no matter they worked or not as theirs are government jobs. “Such thinking is not acceptable at all.”

The premier reminded public servants that they receive salaries and wages from the money that the people, including farmers and labourers, pay the government in taxes. “You always have to think about how you can provide service to them [people].”

She called upon the government officials to work with innovative ideas to resolve the problems of their respective areas and implement development programmes with local perspectives.

Hasina said Governance Innovation Unit has been set up to simplify government service through new innovations.

The government, she said, has a plan to introduce bullet trains on Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Dinajpur, Dhaka-Payra Port via Barisal and Dhaka-Kolkata routes, to reduce the travel time to one hour. “If we can introduce this speedy train, the country's communications will be very fast.”

Recalling the disparity in public services among the people of the then East Pakistan and West Pakistan, the PM said so many people have been serving in higher government posts as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has liberated the country.

Highlighting the successes of her government, including raising the per capita income, foreign currency reserve and GDP growth with the help of public servants, she thanked them for their sincere cooperation.

She also said the government employees' salaries have been hiked by 123 percent.

State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadeq and Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam addressed the programme, among others.

Earlier, the PM distributed Public Administration Award 2018.