Bhubaneswar: Being a bureaucrat is more than what meets one’s eyes. It is not about wielding clout or ruling over the masses. A bureaucrat is not a master but a public servant, who needs to be humble and humane to serve the people. “As a bureaucrat one gets opportunities to be a part of success stories in his or her locality and domain. He or she is a medium only but it gives immense satisfaction. Be a public servant! Common people’s blessings mean a lot,” said Pradeep Jena, Development Commissioner – cum - Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha, in an exclusive interview with Navneet Anand, Editor-In-Chief, Bureaucrats India.

An IAS officer of 1989 batch, Jena also holds the additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary, Rural Development Department, Special Relief Commissioner and Managing Director, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, first disaster management authority of India and also Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management. Sharing his experience of managing disaster, Jena said: “In my tenure of 22 years, I have faced 10 cyclones and I feel that each has a different nature. If you have followed processes and if your command structure is in order, and your preparedness and responses are good, then you can deliver well,” he said, adding that no disaster is the same. “Every disaster needs a different level of preparedness. However, if your team is passionate, loyal and attentive and the line of communication is clear, then you can deal with any kind of disaster well. Now Odisha is the best in handling cyclones,” he added.

Talking about his experience as the Collector of Kalahandi, Jena said that he was fortunate to start his career from Kalahandi, which gave him a great learning experience. “Serving the people in Kalahandi was indeed a great experience which I will cherish. Partnering with Panchayat Raj Institution (PRI) members in delivery of services worked wonders in aspirational districts. We experimented by involving PRIs and that made a huge difference in reaching benefits of government schemes.”

“I do take pride in the fact that the bureaucracy and other stakeholders are working very hard to take Odisha to the next level of development. In the last two decades, Odisha has witnessed a huge change under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. We have many milestones to celebrate,” he said.

Asked about how technology is driving change in Odisha, Jena said: “I am proud to say that the bureaucrats in the state are tech-savvy. They are realising that adapting technology in governance can bring speed and transparency in delivery of services. The most important attribute of any bureaucrat is to be extremely focused on the objective of delivering the service. With every change in posting, it is how fast you adapt and start performing, and that is the key,” he said.

Reflecting on the repercussions of climate change, Jena said: “Climate resilient planning is the need of the hour because in days to come cities are going to become disaster hotspots. Response mechanism cannot be the lone solution. Given the climate change, devising plans to mitigate sufferings is important. Disaster management attempts to bring down the potential losses from hazards, and assure prompt assistance to victims. With this belief, Odisha has institutionalized mock drill practices at village level,” he said.

In reply to a question about Odisha’s development odyssey under Chief Minister Patnaik, Jena said that leaders don’t create followers but they create more leaders. “A journey from the hunger capital of India to an effervescent state achieved by empowering executive, legislative along with common people is a step forward in transforming Odisha. Hats off to the CM for this pioneering step,” he said.

When asked about the humane side of IAS officer Pradeep Jena, he said: “During the cyclone Asaani, we got the news of 11 fishermen stuck in the ocean even after evacuating the whole area. We took quick action and alerted our agencies and within one hour they were rescued. It gave me immense satisfaction as a human being. As a bureaucrat, you get opportunities to be a part of success stories in your locality and domain. You are a medium only but it gives immense satisfaction. Be a public servant. Common people’s blessings mean a lot.” /BI/