Even though it has been only a year since K. Surendra Mohan took over as district collector of Suryapet, he has already left an indelible mark in transforming the district’s social landscape. Many of his proactive initiatives have been emulated by other districts in the state. “I was fortunate to be given a free hand to develop the newly-formed district and the support from all corners has been great,” says Surendra. Although he comes from an engineering background (NIT-Warangal), the IAS officer says that he had the inclination to serve the people from childhood. “I was born and raised in Nalgonda and my upbringing has been very conservative. I have seen people’s problems very closely and I always believed that if these problems were solved, development can be initiated. When I went to Delhi to prepare for the exams, the atmosphere and the competitiveness around further motivated me to get into public service,” he reveals.
In a service spanning over 20 years, his contributions in various capacities to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been exemplary. The awards and recognition for citizen-friendly initiatives are aplenty, but he has realised that nothing can be bigger than job satisfaction. “Nothing can match the public appreciation and the recognition for serving them. That’s what I’ve realised over the years. You get satisfaction when you see people grow and liberated with your initiatives, such things keep me motivated to do better. Apart from the awards, the satisfaction lies in getting optimum results.” Surendra’s Mothers Day gesture of cleansing his mother’s (Uttaramma) feet with water and taking her blessings touched everyone.
He gifted her a pattu sari too. “A mother sacrifices everything for the family. Who else is greater than her in this world?” he ponders. He credits his family for his success. “I feel blessed to have an understanding family. My wife takes care of the domestic chores and this has allowed me to excel in my work. My son is doing his Intermediate 1st year. Whenever I get time, I catch up with my family. I also read a lot of books.”
His unique endeavours
Janhita — People can send their grievances via e-mail, WhatsApp or phone. This has reduced 50 per cent turnout at the government offices.
Transformed 23 Primary Health Centers into ‘model hospitals’.
Every Friday has been declared as ‘Green Day’. The public and employees take part in planting saplings.
Transformed 25 Anganwadi centers into corporate playschools with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Inviting corporate playschool trainers to improve the services of Anganwadi centers to create a recreational atmosphere.
Handing over ‘Modern Dhobi Units’ and renovating salons so people can carry on with their livelihoods.
Encouraged NRIs from the district to contribute to the ‘giving back to the motherland’ initiative.
