BJP president Amit Shah launched the Mo Booth Sabutharu Majboot programme from your district. Petroleum minister Dharamendra Pradhan had visited Maa Budhi Thakurani, the presiding deity of Berhampur and sought her blessings. It seems they are targeting Ganjam district. Being an MLA from the district, do you feel threatened?

Not at all. It’s a publicity stunt by the BJP. When Shah came to the district, there had been euphoria. But that evaporated after he left. We have already reached the ward level and consolidated our position. They have to wait a few more years to reach the booth level. We have taken up a number of development programmes for welfare of the district. Besides, Naveen babu has already occupied a place in the hearts of the people of Ganjam and it’s very difficult to replace him. In the last panchayat election, we won two more seats compared to the last zila parishad polls. We won 63 of the 69 zila parishad seats in Ganjam. On the issue of Pradhan’s visit to the Budhi Thakurani Temple, I can say that our chief minister had already visited the place.

Congress may get a boost in your district after the appointment of a new PCC president, which is expected shortly. Former Union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu, a known public figure, is trying his best to give a boost to the party. 
 

Congress is no more a force in Ganjam. We are not even worried about it.

You have been the MLA from Berhampur five times in a row. Don’t you feel that your ministerial claims have been ignored by the chief minister? You did not get a chance during the past 17 years… 

Inducting someone into the ministry is the prerogative of the chief minister. We have many stalwarts in the party from Ganjam. Keeping all these things in mind, he has to induct people into the ministry. Besides, my health does not permit me to take the pressures of such a job. 

Not just Surya Patro, Bikram Keshari Arukh and Usha Devi, who are much younger than you have got a place in the ministry...

Naveen babu has made me chairman of the district planning board and I enjoy the status of a minister of state. Our district is one of the biggest districts and I have to do a lot.

Still, your supporters must be upset about you not being included in the ministry... 

I have never hankered after posts. I must tell you that it is only because of Naveen babu that my life was saved. I had been suffering from septicaemia and every one had lost hope. At that time, Naveen babu came to my rescue and arranged for an air ambulance and shifted me to Delhi for treatment. My life was saved. What more could I expect?

Ganjam district has witnessed a series of crimes lately. A BJD councillor was hacked to death. It seems that there is acute criminalisation of politics in Ganjam…  

The overall crime situation has improved a lot. The present police superintendent, Ashish Singh, is doing a fantastic job. Many criminals have fled Ganjam. On the issue of the councillor’s murder, to my knowledge, it’s a group rivalry and they had past enmity. Besides, our party is taking all steps to stop the entry of unscrupulous elements into the party fold. We have shown the door to some people within our party when suspicion arose that they had dubious backgrounds. Many of them have since joined the BJP.

You are seen approaching ministers and officials — even at the lowest rung — to move files. Don’t you feel embarrassed at times because of this? 

I am a people’s representative. I go to them for the people’s cause. In this case, you have to shun your ego. I am not going to ask for a favour for myself. If, by approaching a clerk, the file can move and your job gets done, what’s the harm in it?

The Assembly has witnessed hue and cry several times over officials not responding properly to MLAs, not even replying to their queries... 

We have an ethics committee in the Assembly to look into the issue. Its job is to see whether Book Circular 47 is being followed or not. I was chairman of the committee for nearly a decade. Now, Ranedra Pratap Swain is the chairman. Things have improved a lot.

You have been representing Berhampur for the past 22 years and your party has been in power for 17 years. But no visible improvement has been done so far in Behampur... 

One of the main problems of Berhampur city is the lack of drinking water. For this, the Janibali drinking water supply project has already been launched with an investment of Rs 432 crore. 

To take the pipe water to peoples’ homes, a 232km pipeline has been laid. The project will be completed by 2018 and that will solve the drinking water problem at least for the next 30 years. Besides, five overbridges have already been completed. Rs 200 crore has been earmarked by the state government to widen roads and construct new drains.

You are talking of development, but many Phailin-hit victims are yet to receive compensation. 

After Phailin wreaked havoc in the state, the entire state administration had swung into action to address the problems. All compensations have been given. A few people may have been left out… However, we will address their issues too.

Your district is witnessing large-scale migration… 

Migration is not a current phenomenon. It has been going on for decades. In many cases, the family members of local people have settled in Surat and other places. They take their relatives there. One cannot stop someone if they go in search of greener pastures. But we are taking steps to stop such migration and are also providing employment to people under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Percentage (pc or bribe) being taken by officials and leaders for different development works has been the subject of a state-wide debate. What is your opinion on it? 

I have heard of it but never experienced it. After our chief minister took a tough stand on the issue, a fear psychosis has been created among officials indulging in such practices. The debate over the issue has also had its impact. 

The state government has hiked the salaries of MLAs. Do you think MLAs should get salary at all? 

There is justification in hiking the salary. I am thankful to Naveen babu for hiking salaries of the MLAs. It allows them to perform their duties better. They have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. Everyone should understand that they have to go to every nook and corner of their constituencies. How can they do all these things if they don’t get any salary?

You have worked with Biju babu and Naveen babu. What similarities and dissimilarities between them have caught your attention?  

It was Biju babu who had brought me into active politics and I left my profession (as a doctor) because of him. Biju babu never cared for money and used to give people whatever he had with him. Similarly, Naveen babu has no love for money. While Biju babu was short tempered and sometimes whimsical, Naveen babu is calm and does his work silently and coolly.

Taking your health and age into consideration, will you fight the next Assembly election? 

If I am fit and fine and if Naveen babu feels that I should contest, I will. Whatever my party decides, I will abide by that.

What would you have been had you not been a doctor? 

Even at an early age, the people of my village used to affectionately call me doctor. Perhaps, that was something that inspired me to pursue the medical profession.