10% of officials are incompetent: Minister Ganesh Naik

Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Ganesh Naik has claimed 10% of officials in the administration are “incompetent”, and asserted that a strong sense of duty will eliminate the need for public grievance forums like janata darbar.

Mr. Naik was speaking to reporters on Monday after holding the janata darbar (public meeting) at a hall in Thane city, a stronghold of Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Eknath Shinde. The meeting witnessed the submission of more than 260 representations by citizens on various civic, administrative and developmental issues.

Mr. Naik, who is the State Forest Minister, informed that immediate action will be taken on nearly 60% of the representations received, while the remaining will be resolved in a time-bound manner. He said, “90% of officers in the administration are good, but 10% are incompetent; you can experience it here”, and cited several instances of officials not resolving issues of the public.

“Public works should be done out of a sense of duty, not compulsion. If everyone keeps their duty consciousness alive, there will be no need for janata darbars,” the Minister said. “The pace of public service can improve significantly with a sense of collective responsibility and dedication.”

“People come to janata darbars believing that their issues will be addressed here. But if every officer and citizen performs their duty sincerely, grievances will reduce automatically,” he added. “Those who come to janata darbar, their issues should be heard and resolved,” said Mr. Naik, the guardian Minister for neighbouring Palghar District.

“They should be respected, even if you don’t respect them, no problem, but don’t insult them,” he told the meeting organisers and officials. “If the issues are resolved, then there is no need for this darbar at all. But it never happens, hence people rush to the darbar with high hopes,” he added.

Mr. Naik also highlighted the importance of the upcoming Vadhavan Port in Palghar, stating that it will be the 10th largest port in the world. He said the project will greatly enhance national connectivity by linking road networks across India.

“The port will bring immense progress to local citizens. They will be given priority in education, healthcare, trade, and employment opportunities. All necessary work will be completed before the port becomes operational by 2029,” Mr. Naik said.