Indian Premier Manmohan Singh in a New Year message promised to provide clean governance amid growing public anger over corruption. The message posted on the government website Saturday addressed the crisis of credibility for an administration accused of financial wrongdoing linked to the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the sale of telecommunications spectrum licences.
"We will redouble our efforts to deal effectively and credibly with the challenges of inflation, cleansing our governing processes, national security and making our delivery system work for the common man," he said.
"We need to believe in the resilience of our democracy and its capacity to deal with infirmities and shortcomings through course correction." Singh's United Progressive Alliance is under fire for a mobile phone spectrum-licensing scam that resulted in a loss of up to 40 billion dollars to the government, described by national media as India's biggest-ever corruption case.
Another high-profile case involved allegations that organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games swindled millions of dollars from the October event. In recent months, there was public outcry following revelations that politicians and officials allegedly colluded to usurp homes meant for war widows.