Switched off ministers of Munda cabinet
Want a public voice to know Ministers’ mind

VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI
The cabinet ministers of the Arjun Munda government who often wear detachment as distinction -- the absence of a designated voice is probably not being missed.

As mark of minimum flaunt, most of his ministers including deputy chief ministers, Sudesh Mahato and Hemant Soren switched off their official cell phone the day they took charge as minister. They reportedly have switched over to some secret numbers with only a limited number of people having the privy to dial him for a deal or a dialogue.

Even rookie in legislative politics and ministerial job — first time MLA and minister from the BJP Satyanand Jha Batul, joined the snob class of ministers. The only exception is Disaster Management and Excise Department minister Raja Peter of the JD (U) who promptly responds calls and even calls backs. “Why should I keep my mobile phone switched off? Why should I ask my private secretary to speak on my behalf? I am a people’s representative and people have the right to talk to me directly to seek any information,” he said over telephone.

Wonder happens with switched off cells of these disconnect ministers. Sometimes its rings too if called but soon gets switched off or turn to busy mode even if the minister is not busy. But this is too rare an occasion and you are too lucky if your effort indeed buzzed his mobile: Hemant Soren for instance on Thursday evening.

But it is indeed tough to point out as to when Sudesh last operated his official number. Munda’s both deputy CMs are burdened with the responsibility of plum departments. They are ministering the fortune of Jharkhand. Want to talk Hemant then dial Pintu, his private assistant, with a request. Most of the times the requests are turned down with tailor-made pretext: ‘Minister is busy’. Want to talk to Sudesh call on Himanshu if you are in his good book and phone book.

Health Minister and senior JMM leader Hemlal Murmu chose politically clever line that neither defended nor denounced his cabinet colleagues. “How can I say as to why they keep their phone switched off? Ask them directly. It is up to them,” Hemlal reacted. He also belongs to the tribe of ministers who picks less and selective calls.

Yours’ truly and trusted aides of these ministers have their point to argue if the minister does not pick call or keep it switched off. “Calls keep coming and if he responds every call he will be less a minister and more as telephone operator. People often call him for favour,” a close aide of HRD Minister Baidyanath Ram defended.

Nevertheless, Munda is aware that the communication gap of government with the media and the mass has proved too costly for the government. His plan of the interaction of his ministers with media at a regular interval of three months is the part of the strategy to bridge that communication gap. Munda began this exercise only a few days back when he faced the barge of questions over key and critical issues and complaints. It included his non responsive departmental secretaries and ministers who are either inaccessible or refuse to share even normal details of day to day administrative affairs or developmental projects.

“Secretaries are not authorised to speak to the media. They brief their minister and minister in turn are supposed to brief the media and people,” Munda had responded to this complaints. But then, Munda has no such mechanism or mesmerism to make the ministers media and people oriented; much in the line of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar.

Munda is in an ambitious drive to let information flow on the public sphere has even planned to bring an IT law for the smooth flow of information. Munda after taking oath as CM last year had planned to hold day to day briefing of the departments that could not graduate beyond some media columns.

“CM may be busy but he regularly communicates and wants his ministers to maintain constant communication with the media and people that is the part of effective governance,” a CMO source said. Munda is easily accessible not his switched off ministers.