Bhim Singh

Patna, Feb. 21: Chief minister Nitish Kumar set an example of his commitment to the people of the state by holding the janata ka darbar on January 3, two days after losing his mother. And today he made it clear that he wants his ministers to carry the same commitment forward.

State rural works department minister Bhim Singh of the JD (U) understood this the hard way today while trying to slip out of the janata ka darbar midway.

“Come here. Where are you going?” asked Nitish on seeing Singh leaving the programme without informing him.

Singh replied that he was going to attend a programme of JD (U). But his explanation failed to convince the chief minister, who directed him to take his seat at once.

Nitish said: “I am holding the janata darbar over here and you want to attend the party programme. Weren’t you aware that you were supposed to be in janata darbar today? Which is more important, the party meeting or the janata darbar?”

Looking at Singh in the eye, Nitish said: “Do you know that I travelled all the way from Ranchi by road and reached here at 5.30 this morning. I have hardly slept and here I am in my janata darbar and you are saying that you have to attend a party meeting. This is not done. For whom am I holding this janata darbar? I am sitting here and you are leaving.”

By then, the principle secretaries, secretaries and Nitish’s security guard had formed a circle around the minister and the chief minister so that nobody could interrupt the conversation.

“If you were aware of this janata darbar, you should not have made the programme. It could have been arranged some other day,” Nitish continued.

“You will not leave the janata darbar before its gets over. Go and sit in your chair, listen to the problems of the complainants,” Nitish ordered Singh.

Earlier, Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav had attended the janata darbar. When Jadhav asked Nitish about the importance of the darbar, he replied: “Thousands in Bihar wait for this day. For others, it’s just another day. For them, it holds hope, faith, assurance and optimism.” So he had to listen to their grievances carefully, otherwise janata darbar would be meaningless, Nitish added.

He also said it was very important for him to understand the grievances of the people because they had chosen him to solve their problems.