|
Prakash Javadekar was a dejected man when he was denied Rajya Sabha seat and not given Lok Sabha ticket either. But there was windfall all of a sudden. The Prime Minister gave him three portfolios -- environment & forest, information & broadcasting (independent charge) and minister of state for parliamentary affairs. And above all, he is the eyes and ears of the PM. Lokmat Times' National Editor Harish Gupta caught up with him on the eve of completion of 100 days of Modi government in office.
Excerpts from
the interview:
Q:It's 100 days and Achchhe Din are not in sight?
Ans: Achchhe Din to aa gayein hein (Good days have arrived). People are feeling the difference between the Modi government and UPA's mess. It's responsive, pro-active and policy paralysis is a thing of the past now.
Q: Inflation continues to be high, crime is unabated in Delhi ? people are suffering?
Ans: No. It is not true, we are monitoring it on a daily basis. So far inflation is concerned, we are taking corrective measures. Onions' prices are under strict check, so are other essential commodities. What could not be done in 10 years we have done in 20 days….. we have released 10 MT of Rice and Wheat in the market. We have been able to arrest and stablise prices. The petrol prices have been reduced twice.
Q: You mean to say Achchhe Din have arrived but people are unable to see?
Ans: No, Achchhe Din are visible. Its only some people have coloured glasses. The entire environment has changed. Everything is online, there are no queues. The response of government is real now. In some sectors it took 60 days, in others 100 days & in some cases, it could be 180 days or even longer.
Q: Even one year?
Ans: Yes. It may. For example in the Ministry of Environment we took 10 basic decisions; made things transparent, on-line clearances etc etc. without compromising on environment. we have simplified the process, delegated powers so that less number of files come to me.
Q: For Example?
Ans: The "Modi Mantra" is minimum government maximum governance. I have done it here. All important projects like transmission lines, Roads, Rail and Pipe lines passing through the forests, files used to come to the Centre as projects above 5 hectares needed ministerial clearances. I raised the limit to 40 hectares. Now 90% cases won't even come to the Central government. We have cleared more than 100 projects in 100 days.
Q: So you have no work now?
Ans: I will give you an interesting example. I asked for the records of National Board of Wildlife and discovered that no meeting was held for two years. We met for 20 hours at a stretch and cleared 70 developmental projects. Even former PM Dr Manmohan Singh congratulated me when I met him at a public function recently.
Q:So there is no Javadekar-tax reminding of Jayanti-Tax by Modi?
Ans: That was during election campaign, we have moved ahead. We would not rake up the past. In our regime there is no such tax.
Q: So you are not going to recover 'Jayanti Tax'? It's passé now?
Ans: I don't want to go into this, no witch-hunt at all. We have gone on-line and now its PM-CM-DM team working in the government & ministries I am looking after.
Q:That's why you suggested I&B ministry be wound up?
Ans: Minister's job is to project government's work. We are settling policy issues in FDI, cross holding in media, digitalization etc.
Q: What was in your mind when you suggested winding up of I&B ?
Ans: I said it ideologically and philosophically.. as many countries don't have such a ministry. But every country has its legitimate public broadcaster and other forums. You can't control. We are providing direction, giving free hand, resources, technology. I am holding regular meeting with my IAS officers and developing a team spirit. I speak only for five minutes and listen to them for 50 minutes.
Q: Is this Modi Mantra of running government?
Ans: Yes, you have to empower them.
Q: But Modiji is taking classes of ministers and party MPs; issuing sermons, telling Dos' & Don'ts, as if they are students?
Ans: It is wrong to say that it was like a class room.
You must understand that he is the prime minister who gave time to each and every department. Be it DAVP, DD, Radio, PIB, Forest, Environment, every ministry every department. Similarly, he held meetings with bureaucrats, MPs, Ministers and others. He told them how he started his social work and it was wonderful experiment, exchanged ideas with them.
Q: But photographs showed Modiji sitting on a podium and others like in a class room?
Ans: It would be wrong to say that. We have won in large numbers in many states. For example we have 73 MPs in UP; now what do you do there.
Q: You mean these reports are not true?
Ans: A complete falsehood is being spread. there is no truth in it. The issue is that he is meeting everybody. Journalists should see that he is meeting everybody. Journalists should see that he is meeting people. Tell me, how many times these kind of meetings took place earlier.
Q. But he is asking ministers to come to office at 9 am ?
Ans. Its not like that. We all come... you see under Modiji's leadership their is junoon (zeal), magic.
Q. Even amongst the ministers this Junoon is there?
Ans. Yes. We are on a mission and let me tell you we don't even know how these 100 days have gone by.
Q. I heard you people have no holiday at all?
Ans. Well, yes. Virtually no holiday.
Q. So ministers are working 24 hrs rather than enjoying power?
Ans. Well. yes, Dihari to Karni Padti Hai.... it's good for the country.
Q. I am told you are creating a PM unit?
Ans. You require Rapid Response in this ear of TV news channels & social media. The PM wants real time from the government whenever needed.
Q. But Sonia Gandhi says you have high-jacked UPA schemes? Modiji sold dreams?
Ans. She is saying as her party failed so miserably that it could not even get the status of LoP.
| 
