Planning commission member Narendra Jadhav and chief minister Nitish Kumar at the janata darbar in Patna on Monday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Feb. 14: Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s concept of janata darbar has not only impressed the people of Bihar but also Narendra Jadhav, a member of the planning commission.

Jadhav, who spent more than an hour with Nitish at his darbar today, was amazed to see the people queuing up to attend the meet. Nitish briefed Jadhav on the concept and also introduced him to the ministers of various departments. Jadhav appreciated that women’s problems were given preference at the darbar. The chief minister told Jadhav about the frequency of his janata darbars.

He said: “I listen to the grievances of the people and my party workers every Monday. Today I am listening to grievances related to social welfare, health and education. Once I hear a case, I hand it over to the department concerned. I make sure the respective departments solve the problems.”

“Thousands of people in Bihar wait for this day. For them the day holds hope, faith, reliance, assurance and optimism. I have to listen to their grievances properly otherwise the janata darbar will not hold any meaning. It is important for me to understand the problems of my public as they have elected me. I hope to live up to their expectations,” said Nitish.

Jadhav was impressed with the chief minister’s initiatives. He said: “I have heard about janata darbars. But seeing it with my eyes, I must say the chief minister is doing a commendable job.”

Jadhav also moved around the darbar, watching the ministers and department secretaries acting on the public grievances. He met human resource development department minister P.K. Shahi who told him: “When a person comes to me, I directly call the official concerned to look into the issue.”

When The Telegraph asked Jadhav about his experience at the darbar, he said: “As I came here, I saw a long queue outside, which almost went up to the Raj Bhavan. That just shows the popularity of the janata darbar. The chief minister’s concept of the darbars to benefit the people of his state is tremendous.”

“The best part of the darbar is that the people are disciplined. Otherwise it would become difficult for the security to handle such a crowd. The credit for making the state disciplined goes to Nitish Kumar,” added Jadhav.