Not a smooth ride for former Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner G. Latha

After a hectic one and half years in Coimbatore, as the corporation chief, G. Latha unwound at Siruvani waterfalls on Thursday with her family, when DC caught up with her.

While her sudden transfer has raised several eyebrows, Latha says that she looks back at her achievements with pride and is hopeful that her successor will sustain the tempo. The SMS grievance system that she introduced, bridged the gap between civic officials and the aggrieved public and this system helped in quick redressal of grievances.

The effective implementation of the solid waste management system in specific wards and effective segregation of waste at source is something that she is proud of too.

The installation of energy efficient solar plants in corporation buildings had significantly brought down expenses incurred on power and helped the corporation get the coveted Energy Efficiency Award from President of India Pranab Mukherjee at New Delhi.

Child delivery cases in maternity homes during her tenure saw an unprecedented jump from 79 cases per month to an average of 240 a month, thanks to free food for three days and free delivery kits provided to mothers.

Vellalore dump yard management was yet another major challenge for her and getting to streamline the process of scientifically processing the waste was an arduous task. There were of course several stumbling blocks. The former corporation chief candidly admits that it was a challenge to battle the gender bias in the system.

Her most memorable moment: Treating sanitary workers to a sumptuous feast at a star hotel in the city to reward their performance.