'I'm criticised, but I'm trying'

Governor presents his views on a whole range of questions on Bihar, its governance, the recent controversies and his vision for the state.

How is the task of governing Bihar?
Okay, by God's grace. The services sector is in total disarray. The state planning board is in shambles. It is supposed to work in cooperation with the Planning Commission but there is no coordination between the two. Bureaucrats don't discharge their functions fearlessly or sanction expenditure for carrying out development works. They fear they will get into scams.

What are the reasons for Bihar’s poverty?
You tell me. Why is Bihar so poor when it is potentially one of the richest states in terms of agriculture, with its vast water reserves? It has plentiful produce of banana and sugarcane. Look at Punjab and Haryana. They aren't bigger than four or five districts of Bihar. Yet, they feed the country. If Bihar is given the same facilities, it can wipe out hunger from Asia.

What’s the reason for this state of affairs?
The leadership lacked vision; the bureaucrats didn't advise or initiate work. You can say the situation is akin to a physically challenged person trying to lead a blind person. Bureaucrats and politicians, till the time of Rajiv Gandhi, didn't lack in commitment. But the fourth generation has completely failed Bihar. I am not saying the situation is peculiar to Bihar alone. More or less, the same situation prevails everywhere else. There is lack of moral behaviour.

Have you not failed in your claim that you would arrest deterioration on the law and order front?
How much can you do when society itself has been criminalised? Criminals are guaranteed place of pride in the name of community, caste and creed. There is no employment. Loot has become a vocation for the people. It surprises me that Bihar has no training college for the police.

People who work hard are at the receiving end of criminal activities. People who loot others are at the helm of affairs today. There is a category of absentee landlords who don't work at all. They harvest others' fields. There are feudal masters who represent themselves in politics through outfits like the Ranveer Sena. This situation has to change. But there's hope still. The state can be crime-free if education is universalised and the people are humanised through it.

You’re at the receiving end of parties for all you do?
I am unfazed by criticism. At least, I am trying. Yes, criticism does bother me, but only fleetingly. I believe in God and in fate. I will keep doing what I am destined to do. Fate has decided that some good things will be done by me. Destiny has sent me to Bihar.

What’s the logic behind central rule in a democracy?
President's rule should be made mandatory in all states at least once every decade. This would help overhaul the bureaucracy and put governance back in place. Unrestrained rule by people's representatives sometimes upsets the balance. Several groups are completely ignored.