He was just 25 when he stepped into the world of Indian Administrative Service in 2001, carrying the hopes of his people at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district. For PB Salim, it seemed like the right time to reconsider his profession as a biotechnology scientist for Glaxo-SmithKline Pharmaceuticals in Bangalore.
Kozhikode was the first district in Kerala that witnessed the Midas touch of this young collector when he became its collector in February 2009. The Sparsam project (Sustainable Project for Poverty alleviation and Reformation of the Seabelt areas of Malabar), an employment scheme for women victims of 2002/2003 communal riots in Marad, endeared him to the district’s residents.
Belonging to the West Bengal cadre of IAS, Salim started his civil service career as a sub-divisional magistrate of the Maoist-stronghold Lalgarh, West Bengal, in 2002. The peaceful panchayat elections of 2002 in Lalgarh was a challenging but successful mission for this young official.
The risk-factor in his very first appointment made Salim realise the danger of estranging conflicting groups. “Separation and isolation will result only in strengthening extremists,” he believes. It was this realisation that inspired him to introduce Sparsam in December 2009.
The project, which the collector considers as his dream initiative, has bagged laurels from Prathibha Patel, India’s President and many others.
Women belonging to the conflicting communities — Hindus and Muslims — were brought together to work in groups to foster harmony. The payment was made on a group-basis to help the members bond and develop a sense of mutual cooperation.
“Communal riots are reported every day from different parts of the country. From my experience in Marad, I believe strife can be avoided by bringing the conflicting groups together in a harmonious way,” shares Salim.
The collector was also instrumental in transforming Kozhikode into the first plastic waste-free district in the country and wastes no time in crediting the local politicians for the achievement. “Everyone has got their own roles to play and it is important to synergise the conflicting forces for a social cause,” says the 35-year-old collector while expressing satisfaction over his tag as the “people’s collector”.
An enthusiastic student of Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, Salim is least afraid of challenges. “Lalgarh and Marad were risky assignments but it is all part of one’s duty. Introducing new projects efficiently and transparently for social change is my task,” he affirms.
Salim is also one of the very few collectors who believes in developing a rapport with the locals. Hence, dancing with tribals at Pasukkadavu and relaxing under a thatched roof at the settlement come naturally to him.
After graduating from College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, in 1997 and MVSc from Delhi University in 1999, Salim cleared the UPSC in his first attempt. “Inspired by my family members, I prepared my own system of studying, devoting more time for reading before I attempted the UPSC examination,” shares Salim. “Proper management of time also played an important role in my success.”
This confidence helped Salim to initiate 12 people-friendly projects in a short span of two years. Some of the major projects include Swabhiman — service on call. A great manager of time, Salim tries to be a good parent for his children, Eshal and Haya and husband to wife Fathima. “Spending time with my family and reading books help me unwind,” shares Salim.
— sree@newindianexpress.com