NEW DELHI: The government has decided to put its weight behind a handful of key programmes and focus on their implementation as it believes that delivering on these high-profile projects will validate its mantra of effective governance.The top priorities being monitored closely by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are financial inclusion, the Digital India campaign, rural sanitation, implementation of the goods & services tax (GST) and the ‘Make in India’ manufacturing-for-export initiative unveiled by him in his Independence Day address. “The new government’s focus is on execution. The next three months will be a phase for consolidation and ensuring that plans are rolled out effectively,” said a senior government official, adding that the bureaucracy had been galvanised into action.It has been decided that the respective secretaries will present progress reports on action plans formulated for their ministries and departments to the cabinet secretary every month.Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reviewed the implementation of budget announcements on Thursday to ensure these are on course. Modi’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra is keeping a close tab on the implementation of government plans. On August 22, he called a meeting of 25 secretaries to take stock of the progress of various plans.“Building credibility through implementation seems to be the mantra… Bureaucracy seems empowered with the backing of the establishment and it is translating into swifter action,” said another senior government official.The nuts and bolts of rural sanitation, Digital India, financial inclusion and other key mission programmes are being ironed out so that these can be rolled out soon as the government has set its sights on building credibility on effective implementation.The prime minister will flag off the financial inclusion plan, known as Jan Dhan Yojana, aimed at bringing unbanked areas into the fold of official financial channels, on August 28 and plans are afoot to make it a big event.The scheme involves two bank accounts per household. Account-holders will get a debit card, insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh and an overdraft facility after one year of operation. All ministers and BJP leaders will travel to different parts of the country to launch the financial inclusion programme.Jaitley has identified GST as a key priority and directed ministry officials to work closely with states to finalise the structural framework for the new levy that seeks to replace multiple central and state taxes and create a unified national market.“We are having meetings with state governments, individually and in small groups, to identify and iron out issues,” said a ministry official. The ministry will also review the progress on setting up the IT backbone for the new tax this week to ensure preparedness for its rollout.IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will review the implementation of the Digital India plan with states this week. All other ministries have also been given schedules.“Timelines have been given with the action plans… Plans are being monitored in respect to the prescribed timelines,” said a senior government official with an infrastructure ministry. The winter session of Parliament is expected to be packed with legislative action. The Narendra Modi government, which came to power with a landslide victory, wants to ensure it builds on that electoral success.An uptick in macroeconomic indicators is providing much relief with some visible signs of revival, inflation abating and the twin deficits much in control. There is an expectation that the investment cycle could go back up quickly.“The steps taken in the budget seem to have had the desired impact,” said a finance ministry official. Economists agree that the India story has begun to turn around and that having a decisive government in place has played a significant role in this.“Macro stabilisation is underway — growth-inflation balance, twin deficits are improving,” said Citi economist Rohini Malkani in a note. “While there can be plenty of debate on pace and timing, India is on its way back to 7% growth and 6% inflation.”She added: “There’s a cyclical and sentiment boost, but India is largely a ‘self-help’ story: There’s a strong and new political will, coupled with a credible and active central bank. Modi — growth, execution and ambition (beginning to unfold); Rajan — monetary framework and financial sector reform (executing energetically). And, as evidenced on inflation, they are working together. Pin it to personalities, but this mix is steadily changing India’s dynamics,” Malkani said.