Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh meets applicants on Thursday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Feb. 17: Sanjay Kumar Singh, the new district magistrate of Patna, today attended his first janata darbar at the Patna collectorate and attended to the complaints of hundreds of applicants.

Sanjay, who replaced former district magistrate Jitendra Kumar Singh last week, was quick to respond to the complaints of the callers, said a source.

Most of the complaints were related to payment of pension and crime.

One Rampyari Devi complained that criminals were harassing her 12-year-old daughter and the police had refused to register her complaint.

“My daughter is being harassed by three boys at our neighbourhood in Buddha Colony. But officers of the Buddha Colony police station have refused to lodge my complaint,” she said.

A distraught Rampyari added: “The station house officer said my daughter and I should leave the city.”

She added: “I am a poor woman with five children. I earn my living by selling food near Magadh Mahila College. My husband is a labourer. What can I do? Please look into the matter.”

The tearful mother said: “The three boys have also threatened to kill my daughter and my other children. They once entered my house and tried to abduct my daughter. But somehow she managed to escape with my husband. I do not know what to do if the police will not help me.”

Sanjay called up Buddha Colony police station house officer from his cellphone, and said: “I am Sanjay Kumar Singh, district magistrate, Patna. A lady has come to my janata darbar to complain about how you have not registered her complaint regarding three boys who are harassing her daughter. I am sending her to you now. Register her complaint and do not do this again.”

The district magistrate also took swift action on the complaint of 90-year-old Lala Singh, whose wife Savitri Devi was a freedom fighter. Savitri died in 1983 but Lala has not been receiving the benefits of the Freedom Fighters’ Pension Scheme.

Sanjay called the offical concerned and asked to be apprised of the matter.

After listening to the details, he instructed the official to look into the matter and release the pension as soon as possible.

Lala had alleged that the official had been demanding a bribe from him.

Sanjay assured him that he would look into the matter.

A number of petitioners had come to request Sanjay to issue them arms licences.

But the district magistrate did not entertain these applicants.

“I will not look at any paper or document related to arms licences. Such issues will not be dealt with in my janata darbar,” said Sanjay.

They were the only persons to be turned away disappointed from the darbar.