The MD of Tribal Co-operative Marketing Federation (TRIFED) of India, Mr. Pravir Krishna needs no introduction. His works for the upliftment of tribals and revival of their culture and handicrafts is unmatched. He features in ‘50 most influential people in 2020’ by Fame India Magazine, PSU Watch and Asia Post. The officer who has given more than a decade of his service for the tribals has much more to his personality than that.
In conversation with Indian Masterminds, he went into nostalgia about his early days of administration and his other passions.
Freeing the bonded labours
Mr. Krishna joined as an IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre in 1987. After completing the training in LBSNAA he got his first independent posting as SDM of Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. Mr. Krishna considers that one his most memorable experience. “It was my first posting so naturally the excitement was high. There was lot of scope for work that could affect thousands of people. The condition of daily wage workers was pathetic. Many of them were bonded labours from years.”
He decided to free them of their bondage. He went to the Supreme Court and with its intervention around 5000 bonded labours could be free from bondage and feel independence for the first time.
As Health Secretary, Madhya Pradesh
Mr. Krishna was posted as the Secretary to Ministry of Health, Madhya Pradesh during 2011-14. During that period, he launched an initiative called ‘Free Drugs, Free Drive & Free Diagnostics’. Under this initiative around five lakh people of government hospitals were benefitted. The program was backed by the state government for the underprivileged. With this they were able to get free medicines, tests and ambulance services.
Then onwards he has a glorious journey and worked on numerous important positions. Before TRIFED, he served as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Shipping. He was also Managing Director of Shipping Corporation of India.
My Father My Guru
In his leisure time, Mr. Krishna indulges in lots of other activities. He loves to play sing and musical instrument. His range of songs is huge. He also has a keen interest in gardening and interior designing.
He says that he has inherited all these hobbies from his father. “My father was an Economics professor and was class-1 artist who used to sing for AIR-Patna. Its his music that is flowing in my veins. Like him I too sing both classical and semi-classical songs”, he says.
Ask him about his favourite singers and pat comes the answer – Mukesh and Jagjit Singh. He always sings their songs in his family gatherings. He also plays tabla, dholak, mouth-organ and drum with elan. “They help me to focus on my work and enhance my efficiency,” he says.
