It was when I was posted as Registrar of Co-operative Societies, and SV (as he was fondly known to his friends) was Managing Director, Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Bank that we first became close friends. SV Prasad’s academic credentials were highly impressive. He was not only a graduate in engineering from a well-known college in Kakinada but had also done an MBA at IIM, Ahmedabad. He brought to his work a degree of devotion and dedication I had rarely seen before. And, no matter how acute the pressure of work, he maintained a cheerful disposition. He had a sense of humour which can only be described as devastating.
I always found him immaculately dressed and well groomed, no matter what the situation.
Even in the early 1980s, he was quite computer savvy and, together, we made short work of the very complicated and politically sensitive task of not only merging, splitting and amalgamating the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies of the State, but also conducting the challenging task of elections to their members and office bearers.
In later years, I had the privilege and honour of working with him on several occasions. One thing that stands out is the time when he was Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh State Dairy Development Federation and I was Secretary in charge of Food and Agriculture. Not only was the Federation in financial doldrums but also, we had to contend with a Minister who was difficult to deal with, and also not entirely above board. Thanks to our mutual understanding and, with the support of the then Chief Minister Dr M Chenna Reddy, we managed to steer our way clear of trouble. Soon, I proceeded to Delhi to work in the Government of India, and we more or less lost touch with each other for many years.
SV then played a crucial role in Chandrababu Naidu asking me to come back to the State as the Chief Secretary. Upon return I had to, once again, lean on SV to weather the storm of landing in a somewhat unsettling ambience. His knowledge, and readiness to share it, helped me immensely in striking a working equation with the then Chief Minister. SV was a man for all seasons, a modern day ‘Ajatasatru’. To all chief ministers, from Dr M Chenna Reddy through NTR, N Janardhan Reddy to K Vijay Bhaskar Reddy, he was apple of their eye.
He possessed one attribute which is essential to all successful civil servants, of having his ear to the ground. That and his endearing personality made him an invaluable asset, especially in the offices of chief ministers. That was why he was often entrusted with troubleshooting tasks when sensitive matters had to be handled with subtlety and delicacy.
- Mohan Kanda, Former chief secretary of erstwhile AP