You were associated with the media for nearly 20 years. Now you are a minister. How do you view your journey?

(Smiles) I was in the media for a long time. I worked in different organisations including Doordarshan, DAVP and PIB. I had the opportunity to know the problems that confront people — be it sanitation, drinking water or bad roads. The role of a journalist is nothing but a catalyst in getting things to move in the right direction. He gets a platform to raise the issues. But the role of a minister is quite a different one. While a journalist raises an issue, the minister tries to find an answer to the problems.

Cyclone Phailin wreaked large-scale devastation in the state and hit the tourism industry hard. Is the government ready to take up the challenge?

I will not say the tourism sector is in bad shape. If we look back at history, we will notice that this sector had suffered serious setback when the super cyclone hit the state in 1999 and in 2013, when Phailin struck. In 2013, the cyclone was tackled in the most competent way. So, the scale of destruction was not big. Some tourist complexes were damaged but the overall situation was not that bad. We have taken care of infrastructure development. Our tourism policy focuses on it. We have introduced a number of schemes to promote tourism.

Odisha has rich Buddhist sites that can draw tourists from all over the world, particularly South East Asia. But why does the government’s promotional efforts not go beyond the golden triangle of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark?

Yes. We are focusing on the golden triangle, as these places are the most attractive to tourists. But at the same time, we are not ignoring other sites. We are promoting the Buddhist circuit in a big way. Our effort is to make the state a major Buddhist destination. Sites such as Ratnagiri-Lalitgiri have a rich history, richer than Nalanda as certain experts have told me. We have plans to promote Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Dhauligiri. We have already had a meeting with officials of Thailand to attract tourists to our sites. We have plans to develop Olasuni and Chhatia.

A lot of tourists are expected to come to Puri during rath yatra this year and during the Nabakalebar next year. How will you ensure the safety of tourists?

(Pauses) This is primarily the police department’s job. But we have also our duty. A proposal is there to turn some police stations to tourist police stations. We will bear the expenditure of these police stations. Besides, we conduct sensitisation and awareness programmes on safety and security of the tourists.

Sometime ago, there was a controversy over “human safaris” being organised by people in the tribal areas of the state prompting the state government to impose restrictions on the entry of outsiders into tribal hamlets. Considering the popularity of tribal tourism in Odisha, has the tourism industry suffered because of these restrictions?

Tribal people have a certain distinct lifestyle that must be respected and protected. Tourist guides have been given necessary instructions. We have a responsibility to ensure that foreign tourists visiting tribal areas are safe and there is no repeat of incidents such as the kidnapping of Italian tourists in 2012.

You also head the culture department. What would be your focus areas here?

I have two things in mind. One is to promote Bhagabat Tungi (place for recital of scriptures in villages) and the other is to ensure that artists get their pensions at the right time. Besides, I will work to promote folk songs, dance and folk arts. Awards for excellence in various fields of art and culture subjects would be given on time.

Time and again the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has been accused of neglecting heritage sites of Odisha. Do you find some truth in the allegations?

I don’t’ want to go into that controversy. In my opinion, the ASI should be more active. If they had intervened at the appropriate time, there would not have been any encroachment at Sishupalgarh. We will continue to vigorously take up the cause of safeguarding all the 298 protected monuments, including the Jagananth temple and the Konark temple. The good news is that they have initiated steps for the protection of the 12th century shine.

Panthanivases run by the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation are said to be making heavy losses. What are your plans to revive their business?

We have no immediate plans for the privatising panthanivases. We have 20 establishments and we are making profit in 14 and incurring losses in the remaining six. We will go for selective privatisation.

Your department had signed MoUs with several private organisations, including deposit collection companies. How do you plan to keep dubious individuals and organisations at bay?

When you advertise for a project seeking private partnership, you cannot stop people from applying. Sometimes, after they are selected, we find that they are dubious and cancel the deal immediately. We are also taking advice of the economic offences wing and the crime branch to this effect seriously. We have already cancelled two MOUs.

There is a growing impression that bureaucrats call the shots in the Naveen Patnaik government. You are now a minister and come from a journalistic background. Do you agree with the impression?

(Pauses) This may be the public perception but bureaucrats don’t rule the roost in the state. I have never encountered such problems. When I was an MLA, I pushed a number of projects. The bureaucrats never opposed it. If your goal is clear and you are able to successfully communicate your ides to officials, your work gets done.

You represent the Bhubaneswar (North) constituency. There is perception that you do not get along well with mayor Ananta Naryan Jena. It is said that the party lost a number of wards in your Assembly segment because of your differences with the mayor.

(Pause) All this is the creation of the media. I never had any public spat with the mayor. Many people misunderstand me. I represent a constituency that is yet to be developed as a planned area. Whenever I try to do something in this regard, some problem crops up. But people have realised that whatever I do is for their good. Municipal election is different from the general election. Out of 23 wards in my area, the BJD lost in 10 wards but the margin of defeat was low. A number of candidates jumped into the fray and took away the votes of the official candidates. However, I proved my popularity by winning the Assembly election by a margin of 35,000 votes. You would be surprised to know that nearly 22 candidates were in the fray.

Scribe-turned-politician

Journalist-turned-politician Ashok Chandra Panda, 60, hails from Bhubaneswar.
He is a servitor of Lord Lingaraj

He did his graduation in political science from BJB College and MA in political
science from Hindu College in Delhi University

He qualified for the Indian Information Service (IIS) in 1982 and has worked in
various capacities with Doordarshan and the Press Information Bureau.

He was received various awards for his impressive coverage of the Baripada Fire Tragedy in 1990s and the 1999 super cyclone that wreaked havoc in the state

He was first elected as an MLA in 2009 on a BJD ticket and has never looked back.

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN HAD YOU NOT BEEN A POLITICIAN?

I was a journalist earlier in the government sector. I would have continued with the profession. There was no pressure from my family to pursue any particular career.