Patna, May 13: Minister of art, culture and youth affairs Sukhda Pandey today reached the BJP office for her janata darbar sharp at 10.30am.

The minister’s “promptness” surprised even the darbar officials as two weeks’ ago, Pandey had blissfully forgotten to intimate her subordinates that she will not attend the darbar as she was out of town.

The Telegraph carried a report on how the minister skipped the darbar without giving any prior information on April 29. Sources said after Pandey missed her darbar and the report was carried the next day, a meeting was held at the BJP office where it was decided that not a single minister should skip a darbar, as it might become an issue in the media and work against the “clean governance” portrayal of Nitish government.

Unlike the last darbar, a number of complainants were present at the BJP office today and the minister listened to their grievances in detail.

Members of Bhartiya Janata Party kala and sanskriti manch submitted a memorandum to the minister demanding a cultural policy for the state (just like the economic policy), re-organisation of government institutions related to the art and culture, a welfare fund for artists, a directory of artistes of the state so that they could be considered for government programmes, implementation of Shukra Gulzar and Shani Bahar programme at the block level (a programme under which the government provides encouragement fund of Rs 10,000 to artistes) and recruitment of cultural teacher in the schools. Pandey gave the manch members assurance to look into their demands.

Menawhile, Gautam Singh, science and technology minister, who too missed a darbar recently, arrived at the JD (U) office at Beer Chand Patel Path (darbar venue) on scheduled time today.

“I just skipped my previous darbar, otherwise I am always attend my darbars,” said Gautam when asked if he has made it a habit to miss his darbar.

However, Singh was not as lucky as Pandey for only handful of applicants visited his darbar today.

“Not many grievances came to my darbar,” said Gautam, adding that only matters related to the infrastructure of the colleges and ppor strength of teachers came up today in his darbar.