Manmohan takes stock of his standing

"A journalist had recently asked me what score I will give myself and our government and I said six out of ten," Singh told a meeting of the Congress Party's top decision-making forum here on Monday. The meeting was called to review the performance of the government since assuming office on May 22 last year by outsmarting BJP-led NDA coalition in parliamentary election.

Giving a low-down of his government's report card, the prime minister said "for some, this may seem a reasonable mark. But I have never been satisfied with sixty percent. I do sincerely believe we can do better. In the coming year that will be our endeavour."

The meeting adopted a resolution congratulating Prime Minister Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for their "untiring efforts to ensure cohesive functioning of the alliance of 23 parties."

It recalled Sonia's "unique act of self-abnegation" of power and acknowledged Singh's "quiet dignity and qualities of head and heart."

Briefing reporters after the meeting, senior Congress leader Ambika Soni said Sonia Gandhi reposed her confidence in Manmohan Singh's ability to lead the coalition and implement its national common minimum programme. Singh, in turn praised, Sonia's "mature, humane and forward-looking leadership."

Setting the agenda for the future, the prime minister reiterated his government's commitment to carrying forward the reforms and called for continuation of disinvest-ments (privatisation), labour reforms and further liberalisation of investment policy as a recipe for growth.

"We require political consensus both within our own party and across political parties to take this agenda of fiscal reforms forward," he said, in an apparent reference to strong opposition of left parties, which provide crucial support to his government from outside, to allowing FDI in private Indian banks, insurance, pension and retail trade.