New Delhi, Nov. 1: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said all allies must be kept informed about the policies implemented by the government and the task before them was to ?carry the coalition along?.

Addressing the first meeting of his council of ministers, he urged them to remember that the UPA government had been formed with the support of several parties. The exhortation was intended as a message mainly for the economic and infrastructure ministries that were under the Left?s scanner and often came in for its criticism.

With the Maharashtra elections over, Singh signalled it was time to get down to business. He underlined the importance of ?reform of government? and asked his colleagues to ensure a ?citizen-friendly, service-oriented and caring? government.

A press release issued by his media adviser said Singh?s priority areas include agriculture, irrigation and drinking water, health, education, employment and infrastructure development. The coalition?s common minimum programme (CMP) also reflects these priorities.

Singh also urged fiscal prudence. The release said he told his ministers to ?ensure that only realistic, sound and justifiable proposals? are put up. ?It is not fair to expect the finance minister alone to act as the arbiter of expenditure while all other ministers try to enlarge their share of the budget pie,? the release quoted him as saying.

Among the other nuggets of advice were the need to ?engage in a dialogue with state governments to ensure effective implementation of programmes and policies? and to interact ?regularly and creatively? with their officers. ?They are our instruments for delivering results, hence they need to be given their due place,? Singh said.

Singh stressed the need for associating the ?best and the brightest from within and outside to enhance governance?, but at the same time made it clear he was not a proponent of radical changes. ?Institutions need to be respected and strengthened,? he said.

Singh complimented his colleagues for restoring ?normal, rule-based? functioning and delivering on many of the promises made in the CMP. The ?compliment?, sources said, was meant to assuage those who were upset with reports that he was unhappy with some ministers for not sticking to deadlines for implementing promises made in the common programme.

The ministries of agriculture, chemicals and fertilisers, home, commerce and industries and human resource development were some of those allegedly given a red mark for being tardy.

The meeting was followed by a dinner to which Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was invited.

Tomorrow, Singh would address a meeting of chief secretaries of all states and, on November 3, the annual general meeting of the directors-general of police.