Santhi Kumari: Adilabad remembers farmer-friendly bureaucrat

Santhi Kumari was posted as the 42nd Collector of Adilabad, replacing the then Collector P Sundar Kumar way back in 1999

Adilabad: It’s not about how long you work, but it’s about how much impact you create on a field. The State’s newly appointed Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari falls in this category as she had left her mark on the administration though she had worked as Collector in the district only for a brief period.

Santhi Kumari was posted as the 42nd Collector of the backward district, replacing the then Collector P Sundar Kumar way back in 1999. Incidentally, she was the first female IAS officer to be posted in the district known for Maoist violence during the 1990s.

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She worked from April 30 to November 11 of 1999. During the six month-stint, she laid special focus on addressing challenges of the agrarian community. Regarded as a farmer-friendly bureaucrat, the 1989 batch IAS officer was also credited with the introduction of electronic weigh bridges in Adilabad market yard to prevent cheating of cotton farmers by traders while weighing cotton. She made this sensational decision two months after her posting, drawing the attention of many and cheering cotton growers.

“Traders were smartly indulging in pilferage of roughly 5 kilograms of cotton per quintal using manual weighing machines. Farmers remained helpless regretting that none would care to check the menace. However, she rolled out the modern system of weighing, winning laurels from different sections of the society, mainly farmers,” B Govardhan Reddy, Adilabad DCCB director recalled.

Santhi Kumari was hailed for learning problems of the flood-affected villages by touring 52 mandals of the erstwhile Adilabad district, facing heavy rains and crossing streams. She won laurels for peacefully conducting elections to Legislative Assembly and Parliament in the district, which was witnessing violent incidents by banned Maoists in September 1999.

She was also known for being friendly with employees. “She visited me when I met with a road accident and ensured that better quality treatment was given. I received my appointment order from her,” K Vanaja Reddy, Adilabad Tahsildar recounted.