Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday asked collectors to be polite and behave well with public representatives, irrespective of whether he is a ward member or an MLA, when they meet the bureaucrats in their office.

He said President Droupadi Murmu was not given due respect and was humiliated by a collector during a review meeting when she was a minister in Odisha. He cited how a police inspector had asked him to leave the police station when he was an MLA.

Inaugurating the district collectors’ conference at the Odisha State Secretariat on Friday, Majhi said: “As per Book Circular 47, when a public representative meets a bureaucrat, the officer should greet him with due respect, stand up and offer a chair to sit on. During my career as an MLA and even as the chief whip of the Opposition party, I noticed this had never been followed. I am yet to understand what the problem is with being polite and dropping your ego.”

Book Circular 47 of the government of Odisha defines the relationship between elected members and government servants.

Recounting an incident, Majhi said: “A central minister came to Odisha for a review. A number of MLAs were present at the review meeting. Even a state minister was present. A collector entered the room and greeted the central minister but did not even wish the state minister.”

The chief minister said: “When the central minister pointed out that the minister from the state was present, the collector feigned ignorance as if he was not aware of the minister’s presence. Even without admitting his mistake, the collector said he had no idea that the leader had become a minister. How could it be possible that a collector did not know who the minister was? The leader who had been humiliated at that time did not react. That state minister is now the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.”

Murmu was the minister in Odisha during the BJD-BJP coalition from 2000 to 2004. In 2000, Mahji was elected to the Assembly for the first time in Keonjhar.

Majhi also recalled the behaviour he was meted out by the police inspector of Keonjhar Police station: “I rushed to the spot after coming to know that locals had blocked the road over drinking water problems. Seeing me, the ICC shouted at me and said “get out”. However, I have forgiven him as he had done so under pressure,” Majhi said.

He also pointed out how officers avoided meeting public representatives, citing that they were busy and trying to evade issues concerning the public. He cited an example of how he had gone to meet the district education officer (DEO) in Keonjhar to address the issue of schools and how the DEO avoided him, citing that he was busy with work related to Assembly proceedings.

Majhi cited how local forest officials had put tribals behind the bars while they were collecting forest produce
and wood.