NAGAPATTINAM: K Kuhan, a 50-year-old government official, has served as executive officer of five town panchayats in recent years. With his Midas touch, all five have gone on to secure the top spot in Swachh Survekshan rankings for the cleanest local body in the state.
Under Kuhan's leadership, Kilvelur town panchayat is the latest to have secured the top spot for its cleanliness. The executive officer, hailing from Mangudi village in Tiruvarur, credits his success to a strategic approach focused on community engagement and public welfare.
"Maintaining a fine balance between the public and the town panchayat by improving relationships, understanding public needs, acting for their welfare, treating sanitary workers with recognition, and corruption-free service has been crucial," Kuhan said.
Kuhan's journey began as a revenue assistant in Vedaranyam municipality in 2002, progressing through roles such as bill collector in Thittacheri and Kilvelur town panchayats. His first stint as the executive officer was in Melathiruppoonthuruthi town panchayat in 2018, where he achieved top rankings in Swachh Survekshan for two consecutive years. In 2020, the town panchayat retained the top spot and also improved to become the 25th cleanest local body in the southern states.
Transferred to Vaitheeswarankoil town panchayat in 2020, Kuhan maintained the town's status as the cleanest local body with a population under 25,000 in 2021. Subsequent transfers to Thalaignayiru in 2021 and Kilvelur in 2022 continued Kuhan's winning streak, with both town panchayats securing top positions in their respective categories. S Chandrasekaran, the vice chairperson of Kilvelur town panchayat said, "Kuhan is an official with innovative ideas to improve cleanliness. He also connects the panchayat members with the public well."
S Chinthamani, a 44-year-old worker said, "Kuhan sir ensures that we have proper safety equipment. He also gives flexible schedules to ensure effective service."
DK Ramakrishnan, a representative of the traders association, lauded Kuhan for leading by example in maintaining cleanliness.