Patna, Feb. 10: Divisional commissioner K.P. Ramaiah today landed in a strange situation. Quite a few visitors to his janata darbar sought private audience with the officer and expected him to solve their personal problems.

The public atmosphere was anathema to many of the complainants. So, they demanded to talk to Ramaiah in private. While some were willing to wait, others refused to leave until they have had the “private talk”.

For instance, a man from Dumaria block in Gaya today turned up at the district commissioner’s janata darbar. The man refused to reveal his name, and in a barely audible voice told Ramaiah: “Sir, I have a request for you. Can you solve my problem?”

When Ramaiah asked him to voice his grievance, the man said: “There are too many people here. It would be better if you could give me some time in private. Why can’t we go inside the office?”

Ramaiah was unwilling to concede to this request. The man then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over to the officer. “I am expecting an interview call from a private firm. Please see if you can do something about it,” he said. At this, the commissioner lost his temper. “This is not the place for such work. You have not yet got the interview call! Come back to me when you do, and we will see what we can do about it,” said Ramaiah.

That was not the end of his problem, though. Immediately after the anonymous visitor, Patna City resident Satyendra Kumar made a similar request to the commissioner. Ramaiah was flabbergasted. He said: “I don’t understand why you want to talk to me in private. Tell me your problem here. I do not have much time.”

Satyendra wanted a government job. Ramaiah was not pleased. He shouted: “I don’t have the authority to give you this job. You better find some job in the private sector. I cannot do you such favours.”

Unlike Satyendra, Kaimur resident Mahi Pateshewar decided it was best to wait it out if he wanted a private audience. He occupied a corner seat until all the other complainants were done. When he finally met the commissioner, he continued to elucidate his problem for 15 minutes, till the Ramaiah gave his subordinates instruction to forward the man’s complaint to Kaimur superintendent of police.

Ramaiah later told The Telegraph: “It is very difficult for me to ignore the visitors but many of them want private favours. At times the complainants just refuse to leave. So, I have been holding the darbar outside my office.”

While some sought private space to communicate their requests, a few were quite inhibited to do just about anything in front of everyone. Danapur resident Kundan Kumar today asked the commissioner to give him an arms licence, as he had been receiving threat calls. Before Ramaiah could answer his request, the man started to play a recording of the threat, which he had recorded on his cellphone. Immediately, a slew of the choicest invectives rented the air. The man had to be escorted off the premises by the other officials.