The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday asked civil servants to be innovative and quick, saying people resent apathy, sloth and corruption at any level of government more than ever before.<br/><br/>Doing some plain-speaking at the first annual conference of Chief Secretaries in New Delhi, he said, there is clamour for accountability from all quarters, the legislature, the judiciary and the media. He said, the rising expectations of the people make them impatient with the speed at which results can be delivered.<br/><br/>Dr Singh said, while there is unprecedented optimism in the country about the prospects for the future, there are also new challenges faced by administrators. <br/><br/>Observing that economic reforms over the last 20 years have enabled the country to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world, he said the country has the resilience to meet the challenge as the response to the recent global downturn shows. <br/>Dwelling on the security scenario, the Prime Minister said terrorism, insurgency and extremism needed to be tackled with a firm but effective and sensitive hand. He said, it is one of the primary responsibilities of any government to ensure the rule of law as an atmosphere of peace and communal harmony is also a pre-requisite for rapid economic growth.