DINDIGUL: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a government servant? The stereotypical portrayal that we come across in cinema and popular media is that of a lethargic lot that does not care about its duty. If not, the other extreme is an alpha-hero officer who breaks the law while attempting to save it. Remarkably different from these stereotypes are those like Kodaikanal Sub-Collector M Sivaguru Prabakaran. Without any hustle or bustle, officers like him have been working quietly to empower some of the most downtrodden members of our society.
Life is not easy for the tribal communities living in remote corners of popular hill stations such as Kodaikanal. Getting even basic government documents like community certificates, ration cards, and Aadhaar numbers is a hassle. For them, Prabakaran’s latest announcement -- that he would visit one tribal village every Friday -- has brought hope and relief. “There are 15 tribal villages consisting nearly 38 hamlets in Kodaikanal. The initiative is to put together a team of officials from across 15 departments, and visit one village every Friday,” Prabakaran tells Express.
The reason for having members from all departments, he explains, is so that solutions can be provided on the spot. “Some decisions need the approval of higher authorities. Those cannot be made immediately, But, basic grievances can be resolved by us on spot, and we plan to do that during our visits.” The team will camp in places where network connection is available, so that petitions about corrections to be made in Aadhaar cards or rations cards can be addressed easily.
“In hamlets where there is no network connectivity, local authorities will make arrangements to bring villagers to the camp,” says Prabakaran, adding that visits would continue till the end of this year.
B Sivaraj of Polur says his villagers have been struggling without a proper road or a toilet for women in their village. He plans on bringing it up when he meets the sub-collector. “That apart, electric poles in our village have been damaged, causing accidents. Two months ago, a youngster was electrocuted after he stepped on a live wire. We had submitted petitions back then, and hope those issues would get resolved now.”
They are coming...
The Sub-Collector is taking along a team of 15 members from across different departments, to provide on the spot solution, during their visit to the villages every Friday