“The proper study of mankind is man” says Alexander Pope with a bit of caution to the writers to make a study of men and characters around them instead of attempting to make an assessment of God in heaven. Among the many officers who are in charge of dispensing justice to the people at the grassroots level, Ranjan Kumar Das, District Magistrate of Jajpur, is the one with a difference. A workaholic by temperament, he rises with the lark and works till it is dark for people by visiting them at their doorsteps. He never misses his grievance cell and, moreover, keeps it open round the clock. After completing his PG in Political Science, he joined the Odisha Administrative Service in 1984 and was elevated to the IAS in 2007. As the Collector, he has undertaken many developmental activities, thereby bringing catalytic changes in the district. The Nagada situation improved unexpectedly owing to his untiring efforts. He bagged the coveted India Today award in 2017 for his leadership in securing the first position in the health sector and second position in law and order scenario in the district. And Das is a poet par excellence having nine poetry collections to his credit, besides three non-fictions including travelogues. His books have been translated into Hindi and Bengali. He has mastered the Russian language and rendered a Russian poetry collection into Odia. Awards and accolades came showering upon him for his literary works. A survey at the ground zero level indicates that from the daily wage earners to peasants to the intelligentsia in the district, everyone is happy with the empathetic DM. President of Vyasanagar Bikash Parishad Prof Kusha Chandra Pradhan sums up Das with an oft-quoted Shakespearian saying, “How noble in reason, How infinite in faculty, in form, in moving, How express and admirable….” In an interview to The Pioneer, Das spoke to Sugyan Choudhury on various issues relating to development of the district.
What are the plans on your agenda for a holistic development of Jajpur district?
Jajpur was traditionally known for its Buddhist heritage found in Barchana and Dharmasala and its agricultural productivity in Rasulpur, Jajpur, Bari and Binjharpur blocks. Of late, it has become a seat of industrial growth, Kalinganagar being the epicentre. Besides the Sukinda and Dharmasala areas are rich in mineral deposits. Roughly now, Danagadi and Sukinda are developing into mining and industrial hubs. Vyasanagar, Panikoili and JajpurTown are being planned as centres of business, service sector and institutional core areas. In the fertile Rasulpur, Jajpur, Dharmasala, Bari, Binjharpur and Dasarathpur blocks, agriculture and horticulture need a boost. The Buddhist sites the newly-cropping up Jajpur Town are being planned as tourism and pilgrimage centres. Till recently, Jajpur Town, the district headquarters, was looking like a rural or at best a semi-urban place lacking almost all basic amenities. Now, it is turning into a livable township.
It is alleged that despite its rich potential, Jajpur district has not come up to the mark in the Odisha Tourism map. What do you say?
The Buddhist sites at Dharmasala and Barchana have a lot of treasure for foreign tourists. The Goddess Biraja Temple, a Ttantra Pith, attracts worshippers from all around. The Dasaswamedha Ghat on the Baitarani riverbank is a place where people from several parts of India assemble to offer Shraddha to their ancestors. Unfortunately, not much of promotion in marketing have been done in all these areas. But now, these places are being developed aesthetically to attract tourists. Similarly, the opening of Kusuma lake in Jajpur Town has thrown new opportunities. The upcoming Varaha-Kshetra in Jajpur Town will add a new leaf to the tourist guide of Jajpur. The handicraft village of Gopalpur is also being prepared to attract tourists. Three stadiums are now planned for promoting hockey, cricket and football in Jajpur Town. Efforts are also on to develop Ashokjhar in Sukinda, Vyasasorovar in Jajpur Road and the Neulapur Buddhist sites as new destinations.
Please tell us about the health scenario in your district?
Recently, a 100-bed maternity and childcare hospital at Jajpur and a 30-bed hospital at Dharmasala have added to the district’s healthcare scenario. The Tata group has also come up with a hospital in the industrial pocket of Duburi. Jajpur Town is all set to get a modern District Headquarters Hospital and a medical college. Chemotherapy and dialysis units are going to be started shortly in the DHH. Efforts are on to set up a multi-specialty hospital in the Vyasanagar-Panikoili region. In 2017, Jajpur district got the prestigious state of the State award given ‘India Today' as the best emerging district in health sector. I hope there will be efforts to set up more private hospitals in the district through PPP mode to fight cancer and kidney diseases prevalent in this area.
What about availability of drinking water to common people?
At present, 301 pipe water supply projects, 16,871 tube-wells, 63 overhead tanks, 182 solar well pipes are functioning in the district. Now, a district mega water supply plan has been taken up to provide safe pipe water supply to all villages roping in funds from the District Mineral Fund and OMBADC. Nearly Rs 373 crore will be spent on it. In five phases, 55 pipe water supply projects will get money from the DMF. Mega water supply projects in Sukinda and Danagadi have been started and another at Dasarathpur is on the anvil.
What are the plans to maintain the ecological balance due to industrial hazards of Kalinga Nagar and other areas?
The gaseous emission, chemical discharges, liquid and solid wastes as well as the dust pollution caused by the industries and mines are a major health hazard. The industries and mines have been directed to upgrade their own treatment plants, cover the minerals-carrying trucks with tarpaulin, sprinkle water in their operative areas and undertake massive plantations for maximum oxygen generation. Besides, all line departments and PRI institutions have also been directed to take up plantations from MGNREGS and other funds. This year only, we have taken up plantation in 2,171 hectares of barren land. Another 1,045 hectares are being taken up for plantation shortly. Eco Cubs have been energised to inculcate the spirit of environment protection among schoolchildren.
How is the DMF utilised for common people’s benefit?
The District Mineral Fund is being judiciously utilised in the directly affected areas of Sukinda and Danagadi for the benefit of local people. The erstwhile infamous village of Nagada has been transformed into a model village with DMF support by providing all-weather roads, electrification, creation of infrastructures like village tanks, Anganwadi Centre, school, water supply, etc. All the Anganwadi Centres and village roads in these two blocks have been taken up out of the DMF. We are developing skill development centres in all villages of these areas to impart training and provide working space to the Self-Help Groups. Supply of safe drinking water throughout the district is another area where DMF money is being utilised. Major roads and bridges, like road from Tomka to Mangalpur at a cost of Rs 2.20 crore, Ashokjhar to Nagada at Rs 13 crore, Managobindapur flyover bridge at Rs 29 crore, Duburi to Chorda road flyover bridge at Rs 14 crore have been undertaken. Expansion of the District Headquarters Hospital has also been started at a cost of Rs 98 crore.