One of the aspects that stands out about the newly-formed Jayashankar Bhoopalapally district is its collector A. Murali. From leading by example to reaching out to the people in tiny hamlets, he has unique ways of getting to the bottom of things. His undying passion to serve the tribal and rural India for over 35 years speaks volumes about him.
“I have worked for several years in various capacities in tribal welfare including as Project Manager for antipoverty in Mehboobnagar (1994) with United Nations Organisation. I was also the Advisor for Govt. of Laos, and worked in International Labour Organisation too,” he recalls.
However, Murali’s penchant to serve the needy was evident when he quit his lucrative international assignments to serve people from the rural India.
“I have always been interested to work for tribal welfare and rural service because I have experienced poverty... I stayed in a hut and had no electricity till I completed B.Tech. I was an average student and a reserved boy in college till intermediate, which I pursued in Telugu medium.”
“I moved to Hyderabad to pursue engineering, and later completed M.Tech from REC, Warangal in 1981. Since then, I have been extensively working towards tribal welfare.” Murali has been spearheading the administrative proceedings as Collector for the newly-formed district Jayashankar Bhoopalapally.
His surreal initiatives — jumping the protocol, travelling on bike mid-nights, riding a cycle and sleeping in hamlets — not only stunned everyone, but also underscores his passion to reach out to every nook and corner and serve.
“I think this (riding a bike) has been hyped a lot (smiles). There are around eight villages, which I am unable to reach out to. I thought the best way to reach out to them is during mid-night when I can easily cover them in five hours and understand their problems. It saves a lot of time for me.”
To convince others that the government hospital has good infrastructure, Murali asked his daughter Pragathi to give birth to her baby there. “I recruited new staff and renovated the hospital. But people did not trust the services provided by a government hospital. I asked my daughter whether she could give birth to her child there and she agreed.”
Murali, who hails from Karimnagar, had to deal with erratic schedules, uncertain itineraries, emergencies, etc., on a daily basis. Does he spend time with family?
“I am a bad family person, but I don’t have any regrets as I find a lot of satisfaction in working for the poor. My family supports me. My son is in Canada and my daughter Pragathi lives in Hyderabad. So I get little time to spend with my granddaughter. Pragathi has recently completed her MA in Sociology and is following my footsteps to serve the rural communities.”
Prod him on what keeps him motivated during challenging times, and Murali says, “I left World Bank and international assignments to serve the tribal welfare. So nothing gives me a high than the quest to serve the poor.”
Murali is a nature lover, who loves travelling and spending time in the forest. “I don’t watch films, but spending time with villagers rejuvenates me,” he adds.
