Last Monday, NDTV, India kept on showing ministers sleeping in the Junta Durbar of Bihar’s Chief Minister. Even with camera zooming again and again on them, the ministers could hardly get disturbed out of their sweet dreams. The ministers were sleeping on duty when their CM was attending to the public grievances, and they were to listen and reply to the grievances of the people connected to their ministries.
As usual, Dua in his Khabardar got a material good enough to prove his point to make the minister ‘kabardar’ and kept on talking. When the reporters questioned CM about it, he could only laugh it off. But can the CM take the ministers to task for a misdemeanour for which we used to fire the workmen while working in industry? Nitish is now nearing two years in office. He has not come out with any reshuffling based on needs. Neither has he done any restructuring of the cabinet for improving performance. Junta Durbar can be a good way of coming nearer to the ‘aam aadami’, if the grievances are effectively monitored and sorted out. But it can also remain as gimmickry with no benefits to the people whom it aims to serve. Perhaps the sleeping ministers don’t believe in the affectivity of the junta durbar or perhaps they consider it something initiated by the CM to build up his own image, and they are not part of the collective responsibility.

It is unfortunate. Ministers are the modern kings or CEOs today. How can they sleep in presence of the people whom they are to serve and to whom they are answerable? Are they not bothered about their image through all those who are present and watching them sleeping or are they immune to all these? Why should the master or king bother about the servants/ subjects?

Frankly, I don’t know any of the ministers that came on camera. Unfortunately, I tend to hate the attire and fashion trends of the politicians that they put on in public functions. I kept on thinking. How can Bihar develop if their ministers keep on sleeping?

And sleeping they are. Every day I visit the official website of Bihar government. I go into the pages of projects that have been approved. I see the list growing in number. But even after many reminders, the person in charge of updating the data does not provide the progress status. I am sure the people of Bihar would have been happy to know if work on some sugar mills or medical colleges and hospitals, that are in majority in the list, would have started. I still doubt if the list has many serious investors. Why can’t a ministry just follow the implementation of these projects? Can my readers suggest if I must visit one day this durbar to find out the answer to my question?

I have started wondering if I should stop reading news and report about Bihar, as it might otherwise affect my health badly at this age. But how can I escape some news such as ‘did Union Minister Plot Murder?’ in a national daily that says Fatmi accused of conspiracy to bump off Darbhanga Deputy Mayor. Unfortunately, Manmohan and more so Laluji couldn’t find a better Human Resource Minister for India than Fatmi to whom all the top intelligentsia including directors of IITs and IIMs as well as Vice chancellors are to report on some or other occasion. At least I don’t expect a plotter of murder to hold that position.

I shall again request Nitish Kumar to be shrewdly ruthless and smart to handle the unique situation of a great state. This is perhaps one of the last opportunities for the state and more so for Nitish Kumar. Can Nitish take the bureaucrats in total confidence for improving the implementation of development works? Will the bureaucrats of Bihar dedicate themselves to take Bihar out of the misery, as we can’t expect much initiative from their ministers? Most of them are just not capable enough.