A Bihar bureaucrat, who figures in Time magazine's list of Asian heroes for his honesty and efficiency, has been offered a top post by Sahara India Parivar.

Gautam Goswami, the Patna district magistrate, was offered the post of senior vice-president in Sahara India Parivar.

"I will be pleased to work with Sahara India Parivar and have requested the Bihar government to grant me three years special leave for that," Goswami said.

Goswami, a soft-spoken bureaucrat, gave an undertaking to serve Sahara India Parivar following the offer made  by Sahara India Parivar chief Subroto Roy last week.

He is hopeful that state government will grant him permission and leave to join the private enterprise.

Goswami made it clear that he will not resign from the Indian Administrative Service.

"I am eager to work with a private corporate house to gain a different experience only so that may help me in my work." he said.

Goswami, 38, was one of the three Indians who made it to Time magazine's list of 20 Asian heroes giving the state, notorious for corruption and lawlessness, a rare trophy.

Others Indians in the list were Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan and musician Anoushka Shankar.

He received the honour last month.

"There is little doubt that Bihar remains the best place to work in because it challenges you to work hard and apply your creative energies," Goswami said in reference to bad image of state.

He is proud of his roots in Bihar. "My home state is good place... like any other place. The challenges may be more here but it is wrong to say that it is a place not fit for honest and efficient bureaucrat" he said.

Goswami was chosen Asian hero for his work over the years.

This year, his work in organising flood relief and rescue operation was of particular note.

Goswami was also lauded for smooth parliamentary elections in this capital. He hit the headlines when he stopped the then deputy prime minister L K Advani's election rally in Patna in April because it exceeded the time limit.

Goswami is an IAS officer of the 1991 batch. He did his medicine from the Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh and then completed his MD.