New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will deliver a message to the nation later Saturday, a prime minister`s aide said. He will however not address the nation. His message will be released in the form of a statement from his office on New Year`s eve, the aide said. The message is likely to spell out the future direction of the government and its policy priorities mid-way through his second five-year term that ends in 2014.
Later, the prime minister, accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur, is scheduled to leave for Amritsasr.
With his government having faced a tough year politically, the prime minister wants to usher in the new year with prayers at the Harmandar Sahib, the holiest of Sikh shrines, popularly known as the Golden Temple.
A similar message to the nation, in form of "musings", was used by Manmohan Singh`s predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to spell out his thoughts on issues of the day at the yearend.
IANS