After completing her last project (2011 TN elections) successfully, P Amuda, additional chief election officer, TN, is now busy settling down in her new office at Fort St George Secretariat but she takes time off to share her journey so far with edex. With a freedom fighter for a grandfather and parents who were in government service, Amuda learned very early that service to the country is of prime importance.
She begins with the cliched ‘once-upon-a-time’ line — ‘‘I used to accompany my grandmother to the Madurai Collector’s office every month to collect the freedom fighter’s pension.” One can sense where this story is headed when she continues, ‘‘I was just 10 then and did not know what a collector did or who he was. My grandmother explained in very simple terms that he was like a king and did good for the people.” That’s when the seed was sown.
Fast forward three years — Amuda is 13, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya-Madurai and is on a trek to the Himalayas. ‘‘I was a sportsperson right from the start. I was a state-level kabaddi player and even won medals. When I was on a trek, I met few IAS probationery officers who were reluctantly slogging it out on their trek. After a short chat, I made the connection between collectors and IAS officers.”
Her story at this point follows the three act pattern. When she returned from the Himalayan trek, the media was at her door to interview the 13-year-old about her expedition. ‘‘I was asked about my plans for the future and fresh from my encounters with IAS officers, I said, ‘I want to be a collector’,” she beams.
Act two begins with Amuda’s father reprimanding the Class 12 student by saying, ‘‘You have to do something to become a collector”. ‘‘He was right, and I was feeling the pressure. I had told the media that I will become a collector but made no attempt to achieve that goal till my higher secondary,” she admits. She joined Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai (1989-1992) and thereon Amuda devoted herself to academics. ‘‘The focus was on education and there was no room for extra-curricular activities.” Amuda bagged all the 15 medals and awards that were given to her batch by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. ‘‘I realised that if I set my mind on something I can achieve great things,” she says.
In 1992 she wrote the UPSC exam and the subsequent year secured an IPS rank and was placed in her home state of Tamil Nadu. “My father considered IPS to be lower than IAS and asked me write the exam again,” she reveals. The obedient daughter attempted the exam again but with the forewarning that unless she gets posted in her home state she would not take it up. Nothing was to stop this go-getter — in 1994 she made it to the IAS rank and topped her batch.
“I was first posted at Cuddalore (1996-97) as sub-collector. Later I was transferred to Chengalpet as sub-collector. In Chengalpet, there is this huge problem of the sand mafia, and once when we were chasing a lorry, I was hit by it!,” she recounts. Thankfully for Amudha the injury wasn’t severe.
She has also served as general manager, District Industries Centre at Erode in ‘99-00. “After that experience, I got the opportunity to work for UNICEF as national project officer. I predominantly worked on sanitation, children’s welfare and water issues from 2001-06.”
Amudha’s next posting as Dharmapuri’s collector from 2007 to 2010 was eventful as well. “During my tenure I flagged an arts, medical and polytechnic college, upgraded schools and improved health indicators of the district. During elections, VIPs are not allowed to use red lights, but I had noticed a VIP use it and confiscated the vehicle in the run up to the Pennagaram by-polls.” Amudha is married to Shambhu Kallolikar, secretary to TN Governor Surjit Singh Barnala.
— susmita@newindianexpress.com