Chief Secretary of UP Alok Ranjan is considered to be one of the finest bureaucrats of the state. Recently he completed two years as Chief Secretary – a rare phenomenon in the state as bureaucrats are shuffled like pack of cards.
If today Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav claims that Uttar Pradesh is galloping on the path of development, Alok Ranjan is the man behind this success. It has been proved time and again that he is the growth engine that is working overtime to translate the CM's dreams into reality.
Ranjan is popular among people because he is accessible and lends his ear to everyone. This mantra he is trying to pass on to young officers – listen to people and keep your doors open for them.
In a tête-à-tête with this scribe, Alok Ranjan revealed his love for writing books and how he was trying to motivate young officers to understand the `pain’ of the masses.
“You listen to them and they (people) will listen to you,” Ranjan said in an exclusive interview.
Excerpt of the interview as follows:
Q-You have completed two years as Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. How do you explain this journey.
A-The journey has been very good. It was a good learning curve for me as I worked hard to give shape to the dreams of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. In many projects, we literally ran against time and implemented them to the T, because Chief Minister wished so.
Q-What was your role in translating these projects into reality IJ
A-I played the role of a co-ordinator. This goes without saying that almost all government projects are caught in the mire of red tape. The files move from one department to another and precious time is lost. My job was to cut remove the red tapes. I held frequent meetings and reviewed projects on a regular basis. That’s why I say, I played the co-ordinator’s role because I was the link between different departments and ensured that projects sailed through within the prescribed time.
Q-You are the top bureaucrat of the state. But what is your dream project or may I say, the project which was close to your heart.
A-There are three projects which are close to my heart – they were in fact the priority projects of CM Akhilesh Yadav. These are lucknow Metro project, lucknow-Agra Expressway and the thrust to improve power generation and improving availability in the state. In all these projects we had to run against time and now I can say with conviction that we will be able to meet target.
I take pride being associated with lucknow Metro because it will give a new dimension to lucknow. The Agra-Expressway will not only cut commutation time but also bring prosperity in that region where it will pass. Improving power supply, its generation and improving distribution will help us in bringing smiles on the faces of people. Good power means a step forward towards industrialization and improving lifestyle of the common man.
Q-You are successful today because you are accessible to people. But present day bureaucrats are different and prefer to stay aloof and maintain a distance from people. Have you not told them the virtue of communicationIJ
A-This is a good question. I always ask young officers to keep their doors open for the people. This is mandatory for an officer who is posted as District Magistrate. They should have credibility. I believe that if an officer listens to people, they will also listen to him too. I always harped on this point during my meetings with officials at divisional level or when I interact with young bureaucrats. Make yourself available for people. Once you interact with people you get to know what is happening around. Some information might be of some use to you.
Q-Have your words impacted the bureaucratsIJ
A-I do not know. But yes there is a change in working of some officials. They seem to be more accessible and their work is being recognized by people. I do not expect all the bureaucrats to follow my advise in letter and in spirit. I would be happy even if a miniscule minority take my advise seriously and keep their doors open for the people.
Q-I remember you had written about your experience when you climbed on the bonnet of an official car to pacify a belligerent crowd ….
A-(laughs). Yes, that was in Ghazipur. A crowd had gheraoed the DM’s office. The input from police was they are hostile and I was asked not to go out. But I went outside and addressed the crowd climbing on the bonnet of my official car. They listened to me and tempers cooled down in no time. This became possible because I spoke to them. They listened to my words and called off the agitation.
Q-There is a writer behind this popular bureaucrat. You have written two books. Do you rue that you are not getting time to write books.
A-Yes that’s true, I have written books and now do not get time to write books. But I wish to write books once I retire. I am mentally prepared to document my experience in the form of books. I want to write to on governance and social issues.