A good Collector

These days, people in Madurai, are talking about Collector U Sagayam. He had taken charge for the recently concluded assembly elections in Tamil Nadu which decimated the ruling party like nothing. His strong stance led to a position where money power became useless in generating votes, and people voted as per normal will as against induced will.

Collector Sagayam had made a name for himself even before. He was in charge of Namakkal when, what was the first instance in the case of district heads, he declared his assets. After coming to Madurai, Mr Sagayam has been at work day and night to ensure that the people were taken care of. A very good instance was his surprise check of the government-run Government Rajaji Hospital where the doctors were working as per their convenience. He found a lot of doctors missing from duty and issued showcauses. Attendance improved in a day. Though it is not easy to clean the Augean stables of the hospital overnight, I think a strict Sagayam can definitely ensure proper medicare for thousands of poor patients who are illtreated at our government hospitals.

The Collector also threw open the subway which was created and closed all these years. The only problem is in ensuring the people used it. Which too is not difficult if the Mumbai approach is adopted. In Mumbai, several years back when the subway opposite the landmark Victoria Station (now called Chattrapati Shivaji Station) was thrown open for public use, people still preferred to cross the arterial roads. Policemen started waving lathis and slowly people realised it is better to walk underground than getting hurt. The strategy worked.

Wherever you go, people talk of the Good Collector. Madurai is lucky to have got him. In fact as an Aaavin employee told me: "If we get 10 officers like Sagayam, Madurai will become heaven!" Till we get more Sagayams, we have to support the Collector in all his endeavours to clean up the district administration.