By Biswaraj Pattnaik, November 12 : Kunwar Brajesh Singh is the new monarch among police administrators. He looks like a prince with a little bulging tummy for being too food-friendly, behaves well and reminds one of Hindustani family movies made between the 50s and 80s of the last century, which would have a Kunwar Saheb as the hero or the best friend to the hero, or a supremely clever villain causing irreparable damage to all plans and designs by the hero and the good people around him.

Incidentally, Kunwar in Hindustani means a prince or a princely person with a great heart too willing to give and donate to the needy all that they need- money, advice and direct help. Kunwar Sahebs are necessarily handsome and smart because of the royal stock and aristocratic upbringing. The state of Odisha now has a princely Director General of Police, the most coveted post in the cadre. All the same, there’s quite a public discontent and displeasure about Kunwar Saheb superseding deserving seniors. Fortunately for him, some of the seniors are away elsewhere and the one around is considered difficult by the decision makers for no reason or rhyme.

That Naveen babu is guided ably by a few amazingly brilliant bureaucrats is no news. He is kept cool and composed by the trusted administrators who place before him multiple options to be ticked at every critical juncture to get the best results including publicity stunts. The only poor job they endorse is horrible text by the lousy speech writer. The youngest aide to Naveen is the sanest and most capable of pulling the best job. Some people would not even know that the young guy is a no-nonsense strict disciplinarian who ensures that loud mouth political executives and party legislators do their home work right and promise to behave appropriately before mingling with the people or making public statements.

Reportedly, the new DGP is heavily briefed to remain a tame puppet to be used to create trouble for detractors and enemies of the establishment. It is only recently that Kunwar Saheb, during his Vigilance tenure , peeped and sniffed too much in some long forgotten acts of the then DGP Prakash Mishra and initiated vigilance enquiry against him only to thwart Mishra’s elevation to the ‘CBI Director’ post.

Prakash moved the High Court and got fantastic relief. The Court blasted Kunwar Brajesh Singh for implicating Prakash evidently with mala fide motives to please some powerful yet erring politicians in the ruling party. The government moved the Supreme Court with the highest priced lawyers but the Apex Court too upheld the High Court ruling. Huge public money was lost and the conspirators were condemned badly by the people through the media. Believably, Prakash had caused great distress by being strict on ethics and electoral principles which the wicked politicians wanted violated and not reported publicly.

Kunwar Saheb is today the DGP despite being three long years junior than the senior most DG with impeccable records. What has irked the people with functioning heads is the fact that an erring top cop after having been bashed up by the Superior Courts has been rewarded with the prized post. Though it is also true that the Executive has the prerogative right to place some one of choice by disregarding seniority, as per a Supreme Court ruling, it looks odd that Kunwar Saheb with a slight taint is made the big cop.

Someone from within the Vigilance department has dispatched anonymous letters saying some corrupt vigilance officials have clandestinely poured public money to turn the Vigilance headquarters outfit into a ‘star living facility ‘with relaxing, refreshing and rejuvenating furniture and the works to sooth the nerves of the overworking super sleuths. There is public grouse that he has not objected once to the most vigilance-worthy act nor taken strong steps to punish whoever has committed the sin of wasting scarce public money in an office facility.

This shows the Vigilance boss was not unhappy about scoundrels in his own department. Alert people keep calling anonymously to inform that there used to be a senior vigilance guy who uses a Marwari trader as conduit to siphon bribe money and arm-twist service providers, vendors or contractors to develop and beautify his clandestinely acquired farming interests bought on fake names.

Strangely, while serving as the flamboyant Vigilance DG of the state, Kunwar Brajesh Singh, never bothered to peep or sniff to recognise the rats in the fraternity. He may be exceptionally honest and impeccable in character, but he most certainly chose to let crooks joyously walk past him, thereby failing to serve the public. The act of forgiving crooks is not big-heartedness; its encouraging corruption by being timid against criminals on purpose.

For all this, people are hissing a faint cry against injustice meted out to the state. They are too eager to know on what basis a top bureaucrat or cop is given highest positions of authority. While the colossally powerful Collegium judges of the superior courts, despite the unprecedented judicial legislation in their favour, have come under severe criticism for being guilty of gross nepotism and personal whims and fancies, expecting people to display respect for negligent and casual top police authorities of a state would only be a most laughable proposition.

The decision makers must make publicly clear on what parameters Kunwar Saheb was rated higher than others- integrity, super skills and speed of delivery being the basics. The people have nothing to complain against Kunwar Saheb; they are worried as to how the state authorities dare take unilateral decisions while selecting high level public servants without seeking some kind of public opinion. Public service is no child’s play. It’s tough job as every citizen is to be kept happy by a top servant.

The next big job is selecting the new chief secretary. There is big opinion in favour of an underdog who has quietly climbed the ladder by pure merit. There is also talk of a few arrogant top bureaucrats up there pulling strings to have the competitors thrown off the path for self gain. Masses are keenly looking for a truly honest, capable, fast- delivering, exceptionally humble and people-friendly person to head the public administration.

White-collared, ivory tower public servants shall never be welcome. The Supreme Court Collegium controversy has turned the ordinary street guys exceedingly smart, so much as to forcelordly judges to put ‘judge candidates’ to public scrutiny for getting the worthiest one in place. Kunwar Saheb’s appointment has irked the people; so the social media is slowly beginning a campaign against erring decision makers to wake up to ground realities and do a job well to remain socially safe and dignified.

In the recent years, no top cop of Odisha has lasted long in the prized post. Manmohan Praharaj was shunted out without any substantial reason one fine morning for having become a suspect accessory in the Pyari-led coup of May 2012. Prakash was imported to take over to be unceremoniously dislodged one fine evening. Then came a nearly tainted Bihari hero called Sanjeev Marik with a ‘suspension stamp’ on the back. He had abused authority to help criminals from his native state, operating in Odisha.

Later, during the Nabakalebara event, Marik babu, like numerous headless officials and lowly politicians, played populist to eventually bow down slavishly to touch the feet of a most worthless Jagannath temple servitor posing as a 12th century religious figure in burrowed theatre garb to dupe gullible devotees. Sanjeev had done this terribly servile job in full ceremonial police attire, disrespecting a sacredly lofty service. Sanjeev went back imagining he had seen god in the joker, but people did clearly see the foolish top cop already in trouble.

The chief minister admonished him for the mean act but did not throw him out then. Only days ago, with retirement approaching at hurricane velocity, was Marik given a jolt! He was asked to go on leave without any vacation plan or place of visit or the exact company to take. He coolly accepted the shock treatment for having been given the most unexpected reward without even having craved for that in dreams. Sanjeev vanished into the blue without any public reaction or grief. But Kunwar Saheb has caused some public anxiety lest he should fail to deliver relief to the needy and the deserving, voiceless poor.

Happy news is that the highly credible news magazine ‘India Today’ has put Odisha as the fifth best state in the country for the year 2015- a quantum upward jump from the sixteenth position previously. Performances in the sectors like agriculture, education, administration, health, infrastructure, investment, sanitation and environment are evaluated in the rating exercise. The survey obtained data from government as well as non government sources to make sure figures are not inappropriate or mere guesswork. The tiny Himalayan state of
Sikkim is the best in India.

Odisha also figures in the best ten states for ease of services provided to business promoters and investors, as per a study by the World Bank, in which Gujarat is at the top followed by Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand. But no one knows why the steel baron Mittal shied away or the global master POSCO is tearfully packing up bags. Vedanta which dared stay back and set up shop, is weeping day in and day out. There is something wrong somewhere. Only young brilliant brains close to the chief executive can play saviour by identifying holes in the seemingly unsinkably beautiful boat.