RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: At a time when several government officials are facing the heat of corruption allegations, while many others are making pathetic attempts to mark their presence, Rajanna-Sircilla Collector Devarakonda Krishna Bhaskar has been known for maintaining a low-profile yet being available to all the citizens round-the-clock.
The 37-year-old IAS officer of 2012 batch took charge as Sircilla Collector around four years ago. Unlike other bureaucrats, Bhaskar rose to fame and became a dear to all with his simplicity and the way he works at the grassroots level.
A person who treats all citizens equally, the people say that Bhaskar won’t stop following-up the progress of a grievance until it gets resolved. Though he was transferred to Siddipet for a brief time during the previous Assembly elections, when P Venkatram Reddy took charge as the Collector, Krishna Bhaskar was soon brought back. An active member on social media platforms, Krishna Bhaskar addresses public grievances through Twitter too.He was also shortlisted for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Improving Service Delivery and Redressal of Public Grievances, 2020, along with 12 other public officials in the country.
A frontline warrior during the lockdown period, he used to reach out to the people directly and create awareness among them on how to stay safe from Covid-19. Krishna Bhaskar has to be also thanked for the measures he took to promote handloom and powerloom industries, especially by wearing attires made by weavers on all Mondays.
Under Krishna Bhaskar’s aegis, the district witnessed major growth and managed to win several prestigious awards, including the National Award for effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for 2018-19.
Sircilla is one of the few districts that effectively implemented Haritha Haram in the last two years, by ensuring the survival of 64.5 per cent saplings planted under the programme. It also received the Swachhata Darpan and Swachh Survekshan awards in 2017 and 2019 respectively, thanks to the efforts taken by the Collector along with other officials. An IAS official who ensures the development of all areas alike, he majorly focuses on sanitation and hygiene.