EXCLUSIVE MOMENTS WITH THE LEGENDARY LEADER -By Dr. Prasanna Mishra
Manoj Padhi
Here is an article by Dr. Prasanna Mishra..
As an Orissa cadre former IAS officer , Dr. Mishra had held several key positions and often he shares his ideas, experiences or few cherished moments through his articles.
Hope you will like it.
Thanks
Manoj Padhi
http://hindtoday.com/Blogs/ViewBlogsV2.aspx?HTAdvtId=4402&HTAdvtPlaceCode=IND674ORISSA
 Dr. Prasanna Mishra |
EXCLUSIVE MOMENTS WITH THE LEGENDARY LEADER -By Dr. Prasanna Mishra |
| Blog | Posted By: hindtodaynews on:8/8/2009 1:37:58 AM |
(Dr. Prasanna Mishra)
It would be presumptuous for me to make an overall assessment of the personality of the legendary Biju Patnaik. While he was the Chief Minister in the state, as a senior official in the state administration, I had close interactions with him and by recollecting a few experiences I would like to pay my homage to the great leader. Perhaps that would be appropriate.
On February 23, 1994, the Chief Minister was travelling by the state plane to Rourkela on official work. I had accompanied him. The plane was over flying Bonai region of the state. “ I had really started my official career at Bonai in my first posting as the sub divisional officer (SDO)” I told the Chief Minister. “ This is an area which is so rich in natural endowments and yet is economically so backward”, I continued. He was listening with interest. Encouraged by his eagerness to listen, I thought of telling him what I thought should be an appropriate approach in governance in such areas. “ In our society, for those people who do not have strong power of discrimination, the state should act as a protector; people having power of discrimination should be free to shape their lives according to their volition and the state should act as a facilitator. While formulating policy, government should keep this objective in view”, I said. “As a young officer I had made many surprise visits to many shops, both, licensed and unlicensed, selling country-liquor in Bonai sub-division at different times of day and night. Each visit had made me sad for I had noticed every liquor-shops to be a virtual granary. A simple tribal would run short of money while consuming more liquor than what he could afford and would, in a state drunkenness, pawn his crops to the liquor merchant. Most of the agricultural produce of a village would find its way to the liquor shop. In my view the state must protect the vulnerable section of the population. In the tribal areas government should abolish liquor-shops. Government would thereby suffer some financial loss; but as Finance Secretary I assure you that I would be able to absorb the loss. You alone can take a bold step in this regard” I told him with some emotion but with conviction. He listened but was quiet. The state Assembly session was on and the Chief Minister was scheduled to participate in some important discussion the next day. I had volunteered to speak to him on a few important issues pertaining to rural economy. He advised me to meet him the next morning in his chamber in the State Assembly. Late in the afternoon I again accompanied him in the plane to return to Bhubaneswar. His face was radiating happiness. Earlier in the day, he had dedicated to the people a huge statue of Lord Hanuman in a garden. He was taken in a crane to enable him to offer floral tribute the Lord. “ What could be a more exciting scene to the people than what they were witness to when they saw Biju Patnaik on a crane moving towards Lord Hanuman to garland Him!” he was narrating with child-like excitement. I could get a glimpse of his zest for life.
The next day I met him at 10-30 in the morning in his office in the Assembly. The discussion lasted about ninety minutes. I was talking. He had decided to listen.” We need more chilling plants; more dairy units; we should have an annual target of ten lakh artificial inseminations so as to make a worthwhile impact on the quality of milch cattle; we must intensify our programme on drip irrigation and develop horticulture; we have to encourage farmers to have their own lift irrigation projects,” I said and spoke to him on a few other matters as well. After ninety minutes, he indicated to me that he must go to the House. I took his leave and was coming out of his room when he called me. “You told me everything under the sun and I listened; but you did not speak a word about liquor”, he told me with a smile. I smiled at his sense of humour. “Did I not tell you about it yesterday?” I reminded him. “Yes, you did,” he said, “ and I have decided”. He walked into the House and made an announcement about government’s decision to abolish liquor-shop in tribal areas. I felt elated. He had always admired brave and objective views.
Yet another incident comes to my mind. That was regarding the future of the new coal based thermal power station of a government undertaking in Ib valley. The power station was doing very well with very high plant load factor. If sold, it could fetch a good price. ” We do not have money but we have abundant quantity of coal. I would like to sell the power plant at good profit, invest that money on a new power plant; sell the plant and build another. Our state would be the powerhouse of the country.” He had told me his ideas on this issue a few times. After sometime, a proposal for selling this asset was referred by the Energy Department to the Finance Department. I made a noting on the following lines: “Whether a public asset will be retained as such or disposed of is an issue which falls in the realm of policy and Government is competent to take a decision in this regard. Once it is decided to dispose of the asset, the manner in which it would be done has to confirm to established procedure.” Some days thereafter, the Chief Minister was having a discussion with the Energy Secretary and me. “Finance Secretary has a different view on disposal of the Power Plant,” Energy Secretary apprised the Chief Minister. “Are you afraid of a political fall-out”? He asked me looking at me. “My views are totally apolitical” I replied. He wanted to know my views. I explained to him that through an open bid alone can we know the real market price of our asset and since the Chief Minister was keen on getting the best price, we should not take recourse to any other modality. I also told him that since the plant was doing so well, we should go in for partial disinvestments, get a good premium on our shares and have a respectable flow of dividend income. That would be perhaps in the best interest of the state. He readily agreed and appreciatively raised both his long hands and said, “Go ahead and do whatever you feel to be in the best interest of the state”. I learnt a great deal about his personality.
Many times I heard him saying that the training our bureaucrats received did not equip them with the orientation to take bold decisions. One day he wanted my views on a particular matter. We will consider the different aspects of the important proposal and come up with our views soon, I said reverentially. “A typical bureaucrat”, he commented with a smile. “I want a straight answer. You have to say yes or no”. I learnt.
I recollect a memorable scene. I was Chairman of Paradip Port Trust. The chief Minister had come to Paradip to have a discussion with a team from South Korea for setting up of a steel plant at Paradip. It was a long discussion, almost throughout the day. Chief Minister was staying in the Port Guest House on the shore where breakers collide against the sea wall day and night. He was in a suit on the first floor and had advised the staff to let him alone in the evening. Late in the evening, I arrived at the Guest House and went to the first floor. The spacious veranda was dark and the Chief Minister, on a chair, looked totally immersed in deep thoughts. Perhaps he was playing with the high tide of his thoughts in solitude. The calm sea in the horizon; the turbulent sea at the shore, the determined collisions of the waves against the sea-wall, the millions of emerging water particles on one side and a silent, thoughtful Biju Patnaik in a chair in a dark verandah with his far reaching thoughts created an unique and unforgettable environment. He was happy to know that I had come to see him. We talked for a while and I took leave of him. I had no clue about his thoughts that night when there was nothing between him and the roaring sea. Maybe he was conscious that after a long journey, the sea dissipates all its energy by hitting against the sea-wall and converts its life-force into tiny molecules of water to spread all over, like a brave soldier who after many battles, overcoming innumerable hurdles converts himself finally into millions of tiny atoms containing the spark of the indomitable spirit, to arouse and motivate posterity.
(The writer is a former secretary to the Govt. of India)
Manoj Padhi
In my opinion, blame the bureaucracy for the poor services of Government is like - Mara Mara Bhandaria ku MARA' policy; just because they serve longer than politicians and available.
When the minister boss is right and honest , no IAS can do corruption but the vice versa is not true.
The Noida SCAM:
The Noida Authority had allotted 14 plots to hotels at the rate of Rs 7,400 per square meter much lower than the market rate which was Rs 1.69 lakh per sq mt causing loss of Rs 4,721.14 crore to the state exchequer, they said.
Few IAS officers got caught doing corruption - It doesn't mean that, every IAS officer does corruption or don't do their job. Some will definitely doing 'Radhe Radhe', few would be in 'frustrated state' near the threshold level and vulnerable to indulge themselves in 'Radhe Radhe' because of several past transfers, but still we can find quite a few good IAS officers, who can make a difference if they wish. They have to explore the rule books like T.N.Seshan and find loop holes to inform media and public , whenever they get the political pressure to do 'Radhe Radhe' or forced to a desert posting.
Obviously, some puppet IAS officer replaced Dr. Panda and carried out Ratan TATA's agenda pushed by our pseudo-clean CM.
- If the late Shri Biju Patnaik was like 'Raja Harischandra' , Shri Naveen Patnaik is a clone of 'Haria Bhandari' . To Govern as head of the state , one need to have emotions and passions, which Shri Naveen Patnaik doesn't have because he never lived with people to understand - 'how far Industrial pollution can harm people ?' and hence he preferred to carry Ratan TATA's order to overrule Dr. Panda's order, which was issued as per the existing laws.
- Shri Biju Patnaik was not as successful as his son to become CM. He had seen many up and downs. Even, got defeated from the unpopular Janaki. But, he is still loved by people because of his passions for his state. I doubt, whether after 10 or 15 years, some of the current IAS officers can dare to write some good works of Naveen Patnaik in a public forum, like Dr. Mishra did for Shri Biju Patnaik.
- Being a CM, if one can't earn good faith of public, like Shri Biju Patnaik, by sticking to principles and values - what difference will be there between a Janaki and a Naveen. Succumbing to pressure of Industrialists at the cost of people's interest, for whatever reasons is the last thing a CM should do.
- When the CM is a puppet of TATAs, Vedanta etc. we can't blame the bureaucracy 100%. It becomes a joint loot by minister-IAS with no risk to minister and more risk for IAS.
There may be 1000s of such incidents, which might surface when congress or BJP comes to power. The OSRTC land in Berhampur, which was supposed to be utilized for expansion of one of the Orissa's oldest college 'Khallikote college' - was silently leased out to Anil Ambani's Reliance Group for 35 years without any public notification. And guess what - Anil Ambani's Mall would , if came up would have been exactly opposite to Women's colllege Berhampur. What wise ministers we have been sending to handle our affairs !!
Thanks
Manoj Padhi
Manoj Padhi
Manoj Padhi
Politics is not easy and Gandhi's can't survive politics.
Shri Biju Patnaik may have several negative qualities as asserted by you. Shri Subhas Chandra Patnaik (OrissaMatters.com) has written few articles about him, which might be true.
But, I also have come across the following book :Debacle to Revival) (click and search for biju patnaik)
http://books.google.com/books?id=9vDvpB_sqB0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=biju%20patnaik&f=false
page 79
http://books.google.com/books?id=9vDvpB_sqB0C&pg=PA70&lpg=PA69&ots=DsjoAnugdg&dq=yb+chavan+biography+biju+patnaik#v=onepage&q=biju%20patnaik&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=9vDvpB_sqB0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=biju%20patnaik&f=false
after reading which, I would wish to ignore the 'politician' Biju and go by the majority opinion. I see that there was genuine passion for Orissa.
However,you are entitled to your opinion; I respect your opinion, just like I respect Shri Subhas Chandra Patnaik's opinion.
To rise in politics, people have to do what they have to do; some times they deceive their mentors, back stab (Chandrababu Naidu deceived NTR ). But at the end of the day, if he proved good for the state - people will admire him, love him and remember him as a legend.
-Manoj Padhi
Dear Manoj Babu,Hmmm. How short is people's memory ? Was Biju Patnaik a Raja Harischandra ? Hardly .Only a few months ago we learnt here in Ornet from people who worked closely with Biju Patnaik that he was a very corrupt politician, and he was kicked out of central government because of corruption. It seems history is being revised, and his son is doing his very best to splash Biju Babu's name all over, and to name higher learning institutions as well as all kinds of welfare projects with a suffix "Biju Patnaik". So when I read Dr.Mishra's account of the legendery leader, I was musing: Was Dr.Mishra completely unaware of goings on when Biju Patnaik was at the helm ? If he did not, then either he was totally inefficient or he was adopting the posture of Ganghi's three monkeys:speak no evil,hear no evil, and see no evil. For his own credibility's sake, he should at least let loose one of the monkeys,the one who postures "speak no evil". Or may be, he may be aspiring for the same noble career in post retirement years as Pyari Mohan, a seat in Rajya Sabha ? Just guessing.RegardsArjun Purohit
_______________________________________________
Ornet mailing list
Or...@lists.cs.columbia.edu
https://lists.cs.columbia.edu/cucslists/listinfo/ornet
--
Be good,do good
--
Manoj Padhi
Varden,Ashley
Ashley
Varden
Ward Clerk – E Ward
Tel:
+ 27 31 459 8157
Fax:
+ 27 31 459
8055
Email: ashley...@lifehealthcare.co.za
Website: www.lifehealthcare.co.za
"Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life
is about creating yourself..."
From: Oriss...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Oriss...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Manoj Padhi
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 6:50 AM
To: Arjun Purohit
Cc: OTN; ORNET
Subject: Re: [Ornet] OTN: EXCLUSIVE MOMENTS WITH THE LEGENDARY LEADER -By Dr. Prasanna Mishra
________________________________________
Life Healthcare Group (Pty) Ltd
Registration number: 2003/024367/07
This message and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for
the addressee. The following link will display the full disclaimer: http://www.lifehealthcare.co.za/disclaimer/
The
following link displays the list of Directors: http://www.lifehealthcare.co.za/directors/
________________________________________