Nabarangpur: In an era when political meetings are often dominated by lengthy speeches and promises, Odisha’s Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena chose a different approach: he listened.
Travelling over 560 km from the state capital, Bhubaneswar, to the aspirational district of Nabarangpur on Monday, the BJP leader held open interactions with residents in Umerkote and Nabarangpur town. Farmers, teachers, journalists, students, social workers and local intellectuals spoke candidly about the challenges confronting the district.
There were no slogans or elaborate political addresses. Instead, the minister spent hours patiently noting down concerns ranging from inadequate healthcare and the shortage of doctors in hospitals to poor irrigation facilities, weak mobile connectivity, a shortage of teachers and the need for better science education. Farmers highlighted the low prices they receive for maize, while dairy producers and kendu leaf collectors sought better marketing opportunities and value addition.
Responding point by point, Jena explained the initiatives of the Narendra Modi-led Central government and the Odisha government under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. He said districts emerging from decades of Left-Wing Extremism deserve focused investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare and livelihoods to unlock their full potential.
For many participants, however, the most striking aspect of the programme was not the minister’s responses but his willingness to hear uncomfortable truths.
“Very few ministers spend this much time simply listening,” said Banka Bihari Bisoyi, a senior journalist and development activist from Nabarangpur. “People here were not looking for applause; they wanted someone to understand their realities. This kind of direct dialogue builds trust because it makes citizens feel that their voices matter in governance.”
Jena later told this newspaper that public representatives must never forget whom they serve.
“When people are allowed to speak freely, they tell us exactly where governance needs improvement. We are not here to do anyone a favour. We are public servants, and it is our duty to listen with patience, empathy and sincerity before trying to resolve people’s problems,” he said.
The discussions went well beyond immediate grievances. Participants suggested expanding irrigation networks, establishing Plus Two science and degree science colleges, strengthening dairy infrastructure, promoting Ayurveda alongside modern healthcare, extending railway connectivity to Jharigaon and Chandahandi, improving rural sanitation, and preserving local history by including the rule of the Nala dynasty of Padagada in ancient times in school textbooks.
Collectively, the suggestions reflected a common aspiration. The people were not merely asking for government assistance; they were demanding better opportunities through stronger institutions, improved infrastructure, quality education, accessible healthcare and recognition of their cultural heritage.
Representing Gopalpur in Ganjam district and also overseeing party affairs in Rayagada, another aspirational district, Jena has earned a reputation for his simple lifestyle and preference for direct public engagement. His visit to Nabarangpur demonstrated that sometimes governance begins not with making speeches, but with listening carefully to the people whose lives public policies are meant to improve.
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