Fond farewell to Visakhapatnam Collector

Ex-Mayor D.V. Subba Rao describes Seshadri as a man who had ‘made a place in the hearts of the people’

Outgoing District Collector V. Seshadri being presented a memento by former Mayor D.V. Subba Rao and Dr. S.V. Adinarayana at a programme iin Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Photo: V. Subrahmanyam

A large number of academicians, doctors, luminaries from different walks of life and the general public, who had gathered at the Visakhapatnam Public Library on Wednesday, seemed to be happy as well as sad.

The occasion was the felicitation to outgoing Collector V. Seshadri, who is going on promotion as Director in the Prime Minister’s Office. They seemed happy as Mr. Seshadri, who endeared himself to the people of the city and district in a short span of 11 months as District Collector, was going on elevation but sad at the prospect of such a good officer leaving the district.

All-round praise

Former Mayor D.V. Subba Rao described Mr. Seshadri as a man who had ‘made a place in the hearts of the people’ with good deeds and down to earth nature. He recalled that when a former Collector, Abid Hussain, who had later served as Indian Ambassador to the US, had left Vizag, the railway station was full of people, who had gathered to bid adieu to him. Mr. Seshadri despite his short stint in Visakhapatnam had won the love and affection of the people.

Reading out the felicitation address, former Rector of Andhra University A. Prasanna Kumar described Mr. Seshadri as a ‘gem of an officer’ who won the Prime Minister’s award for excellence in the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme. It was unfortunate that the several development programmes planned by him for the benefit of the poor and disadvantaged sections of society could not be completed due to his short stint.

Recalling the epithet of Vizag as ‘the city of destiny’, Prof. Prasanna Kumar felt that the city deserved greater attention and hoped that Mr. Seshadri would continue to guide it in his new role. S. Vijay Kumar of Vijay Nirman spoke.

The Collector’s wife, Shruti Sheshadri, and his two daughters, Shriya and Shravya, were present. Former vice chancellors K. Ramakrishna Rao and V. Balamohan Das, distinguished doctors S.V. Adinarayana Rao and Raghurama Rao, Kasim S. Mehdi and a host of officials and non-officials were among those who attended the programme.