Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements: 87
two Ministers were appointed with two members for the Governor's
Executive Council. The position and salaries were the same for the
Ministers and the Executive Council members. The late Lord Sinha
was the first Governor of this Province and he appointed my father
as the first Minister of Health and Local Self -Government and P.W.D.
My father went to Patna to take up his duties and I was left behind
at Cuttack to settle matters'and wind up the house and to get ready
to go to Patna. My father went to Ranchi and asked me to come to
Patna. I arrived in Patna, with my bag and baggage in May 1921.
MINISTERS DAUGHTER
(a) Minister's House :—
Government did not allot any house for Ministers and my father
found great difficulty in securing a house. He did not mind where
he stayed, but I was disappointed when I found a small house had
been engaged for me. I was asked to secure a good house, if possible,
and my father was willing to pay whatever the rent was. But alas,
neither love nor money could procure a house for the Minister's
daughter ! I had great difficulties with the house problem. The Chief
Engineer of the P.W.D. told me that a Plan for a Minister's house
was ready and he could give me in six months time a lovely house
for the Minister if only the Minister would sanction Rs. 75,000/- for
the building of his house. I asked my father to sanction this amount
but he definitely refused. He said "All over the Province people are
dying of plague, cholera and Kalazur. I need money to save people
from these fell diseases and cannot afford to spend money for the
building of my house. If you are not satisfied, you may return to
Cuttack, for as long as I remain a Minister my conscience will not
allow me to spend so much money on a Minister's house." After this
I never asked for a house. I rented as good a house as I could get
made it comfortable and started a garden. This house was kept open
day and night for people to come to him with their grievances. The
'Jamadar' had strict orders from my father that he should be informed
immediately whenever anyone came to see him.
Thus I came in contact with various classes of men and learnt many
things from them. Departmental injustice was a daily cry and I was often
approached by the victims and repeated to my father what I heard.