https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Zooming In To People’s Heart

2011 batch IAS officer Manjunath Bhajantari, DC Deogarh, Jharkhand, listens to people’s problems. He directly interacts with the vulnerable people of society through Zoom calls and addresses their grievances. He also has dinner with people to get to the root of the issues
Indian Masterminds Stories

Corona-induced restrictions hampered the routine of many people. That included the District Collector of Deogarh, Jharkhand, IAS officer Manjunath Bhajantari, who had been speaking to people’s grievances in his office. Undeterred by the lockdown, he came up with the novel idea of using zoom calls to get across to the people with the help of over 1000 CSC (Citizen Service Centres) or Pragya Kendras – institutions with Wi-Fi and internet facilities along with video camera setups.

HARNESSING POTENTIAL 

Every panchayat in the district has at least two or three CSCs. To realise the full potential of the district administration’s four pillars – Panchayat, Police Stations, Revenue Circle Office, and Block Development Office (BDO), the officer devised the idea of establishing a direct link between the common man and the administration.  

Mr. Bhajantari, along with several other line departments from different sections, one nodal officer from the police department, and other relevant officers, gather in the district headquarters every Monday at 11 a.m., with their laptops and other necessities, and connect with revenue circle officers and BDOs via Zoom meeting.

On the other hand, members of the general public who want to communicate with the DC about their complaints and issues they want the government to address, assemble in the CSCs of their panchayat to do so. They then take part in the Zoom meetings where they can speak with the Collector face-to-face and discuss their issues.

“We are able to converse with over 250 people in one session through this. We direct the program towards the most vulnerable sections of society. The citizens directly talk to me through video conference and share their problems and we immediately verify their problems and instruct the concerned police stations or BDOs, then and there, to solve the problems as soon as possible,” the officer told Indian Masterminds in an exclusive interview.  

VIDEO CONFERENCES 

What began as a Covid-19 necessity has turned into full-fledged weekly sessions bridging the gap between the common man and the district administration. Through the project, the administration is also able to monitor the staff and field-level officers and monitor their work. The officers are constantly on their toes, making sure that no beneficiary is overlooked.

Recently, potters were facing problems in getting clay for their work. Over 100-150 potters assembled to voice their concern at someone who was preventing them from procuring clay using muscle power. No clay meant no work and no livelihood for them. 

Mr. Bhajantari immediately contacted the concerned revenue officer and police officers of the area and asked them to resolve this problem immediately. The officers caught hold of the man and got potters their necessary raw material.   

“As it is, life is difficult for them. They hardly earn a few hundred rupees through their pottery business. We brought him immediate relief and I am happy to say that they are back to business now,” he said.

DINNER WITH DC

Along with the ‘Talk to DC’ program, Mr. Bhajantari has also launched another program called ‘Dinner with DC’ wherein he randomly selects a particular Panchayat and visits it along with other block and revenue officers. He then gathers all the people from the Panchayat there, in the morning, and directly interacts with them for an hour regarding the social security schemes, government schemes, grievance redressals, etc.

By the end of the community interaction, the officer sits down with the people and eats the region’s special millet-based dinner with them. 

The officer is solving genuine problems of the people, through direct response and time-borne redressal winning their trust and applause.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Raj DGP
Rajasthan: New DGP Rajeev Sharma Aims to Make Rajasthan a Model for Policing in India – Know His Future Plans for Policing in State
Leopard Threat on Kanwar Yatra
UP: Leopard Threat Looms Over Kanwar Yatra in Bijnor; Administration Steps Up Vigil with Drones and Patrolling
Ladli Behna Yojana Housing
Ladli Behna Yojana: 1.30 Crore Urban Beneficiaries to Receive Houses Alongside Financial Aid, Announces MP CM Mohan Yadav
Mohan Yadav
Rs 8,682 MSP for Moong: CM Dr Mohan Yadav Requests 40% Procurement Amid Surge in Cultivation
Gwalior Chambal development pic
MP CM Mohan Yadav Flags Off Rs265 Cr Projects, Inaugurates ISBT & Sports Complex; Gwalior-Chambal Set to Become Powerhouse of Progress
Tribhuvan Sahkari University Anand
Tribhuvan Sahkari University Foundation Stone Laid by Amit Shah and Bhupendra Patel in Anand, Empower India’s 30 Crore Cooperative Workers
Mohan Yadav CM MP
MP Govt Committed to 27% OBC Reservation: CM Mohan Yadav Reaffirms Stand Based on Factual Data
cm mohan yadav
Cooperatives Empowering Youth, Driving Growth: MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav on International Cooperative Day
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
IRS Sanjay Bahadur: The Officer With a Pen That Bites | Video Interview
Inderjit Singh Air India
Is Air India Carrying The Burden of Split Before Privatisation?
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
Ex-IRS Officer C. Rajendiran Illuminates Thirukkural’s Timeless Wisdom in Exclusive Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IPS Deepak Meghani
Deepak Meghani, IPS: A Journey of Focus, Failure, and Quiet Discipline
A passionate writer, he has authored several books in Gujarati, ranging from exam strategy guides to...
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
Social Media
PV Sindhu
PV Sindhu’s Visit to NADT Turns into a Wholesome Tribute to Legacy—and ‘Moolchandj
The Olympic champion shared nostalgic memories, met aspiring IRS officers, and sparked viral laughter...
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Raj DGP
Rajasthan: New DGP Rajeev Sharma Aims to Make Rajasthan a Model for Policing in India – Know His Future Plans for Policing in State
Leopard Threat on Kanwar Yatra
UP: Leopard Threat Looms Over Kanwar Yatra in Bijnor; Administration Steps Up Vigil with Drones and Patrolling
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
Inderjit Singh Air India
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT