Implementing the Ammalalana programme to improve the institutional deliveries and bring down maternal mortality would be top priority for new District Collector of Karimnagar district Sarfaraz Ahmed. After the district was reorganised to form four districts it has only 16 mandals as against the earlier 57. The 2009 batch IAS officer, who first worked as Sub-Collector in Mulugu, took over as Collector in an interview to The Hindu lists out his priorities for the district.
What would be your priorities in Karimnagar district?
The Ammalalana programme launched by then Collector Smita Sabharwal had done lot of good work in terms of increasing deliveries in government hospitals and decreasing the dependence on ceasarian operations. I would try to continue the programme and see that the present 40 per cent of normal deliveries would go up to 60 to 70 per cent.
My other priority would be to declare the entire Karimnagar district Open Defecation Free (ODF) by March 2017.
Presently, the Huzurabad Assembly segment is progressing with 90 per cent ODF in the district.
On the government flagship programmes?
We are taking all measures to provide tap water connections to 74 habitations in the first phase under Mission Baghiratha by December 16. The remaining areas of the district would be covered by December 2017.
What about the plans of providing 24X7 water supply to the people of Karimnagar town?
Providing water supply 24X7 is a project of different kind and still required certain kind of infrastructure. Without meters we cannot run 24X7 water supply. We need to ensure that every tap connection has meters to give water round the clock.
After bifurcation of the district, all the offices in the Collectorate remain empty. Do you have any plans to shift the government offices functioning from rented premises to the collectorate complex?
The Karimnagar Collectorate was the first integrated office constructed in 1980 in the united Andhra Pradesh. We will shift all the offices located in rented buildings to the Collectorate for the benefit of people as well as savings for the Exchequer.
How do you intend to address complaints about rampant corruption in the Revenue Department?
If we have a proper monitoring mechanism in place then we can easily check corruption. We will try to ensure that the files are disposed of on a time-bound manner. I would instruct the revenue officials to maintain personal registers to note down when they received a file and when it was disposed. The inward and outward registers would also be also in all Tahsil offices. No official trapped by the ACB would be reinstated.
How about the administration in smaller district?
It is easier to administer the existing 16 mandals compared to the earlier 57 Mandals in the district. The Collectors would have more time to study the issues and solve them with ease. The people’s turnout for the weekly grievances redressal had also come down in the district. Smaller districts lead to better administration.
— K. M. Dayashankar
