A hero is not born at the time of birth. A hero is born out of his deeds. Just like it happened with 2014-batch IAS officer Sumit Kumar, who became a hero for the locals of a Naxal-hit area by his devotion to work. He travels 200 kms through a deep forest to reach this remote area every week to hear the tribal people’s grievances and address them on the spot.
The officer, who took charge as the first Collector of Alluri Sitaramaraju district of Andhra Pradesh recently, rides more than 200 kilometres through a forest to Rampachodavaram, a Naxal hotbed, to hold a grievance cell meeting. He has done such meetings twice till now and has promised to the local people that he would come there every week.
Indian Masterminds spoke to Collector Sumit Kumar, IAS, to find out from him about his weekly visits to the remote Naxal-hit area.
RIDING 200 KM THROUGH FOREST
Alluri Sitaramaraju district is a newly built district in Andhra Pradesh. It was carved out of the Visakhapatnam district. Paderu is the district headquarter. IAS officer Sumit Kumar, who was working as Joint Collector & Additional District Magistrate, East Godavari district, was posted as the first Collector of Alluri Seetharama Raju district.
Soon after taking charge, Mr. Kumar announced that he would stay two days a week in Rampachodavaram. He told Indian Masterminds, “We do this meeting on Monday every week. It is basically a tribal area, and we listen to their problems and try to solve them. We are trying to provide amenities like water, electricity and motorable roads in the Naxal stronghold. I rode more than 200 kilometres through forest areas to Rampachodavaram, which falls along the Andhra-Odisha border, to hold a grievance cell meeting. Till now, I have done two meetings.”
DANGER AT EVERY TURN
As it is a Naxal-hit area, so every move on the Paderu-Rampachodavaram road is under the watch of the Left-wing extremist group as well as the anti-Naxal squads, 24 hours. Mr. Kumar reached Rampachodavaram on a Sunday evening from the district headquarters in Paderu and conducted his first grievance cell meeting on Monday. Then, he returned to Paderu on Tuesday night, travelling another 200 km back through the forest.
CHIEF MINISTER’S ORDER
Mr. Kumar further said, “As this is a new district, CM has given order to hear all grievances of the people and do proper monitoring. I am trying to do just that. I hear their problems, find solutions and ensure proper monitoring.”
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has also given order that the Collector must stay two days a week in Rampachodavaram. The order was issued in the wake of rising concerns over access to the district authorities by the tribes of Chintoor and Rampachodavaram.
In the first grievance cell meeting, Mr. Kumar made it a point to assure the tribes that he would stay two days a week in their region to hear and address their grievances.
FRESH DEMAND
Meanwhile, Alluri Sitaramaraju Zilla Sadhana Samithi convener, Balu Akkisa, appealed to the district authorities to ensure the redressal of grievances at the mandal and division levels, instead of compelling the tribes to wait for the district officials’ visit to the region. Collector Kumar is mulling over this demand now.
NEW DISTRICT
Alluri Sitharama Raju district is named after Alluri Sitarama Raju, a revolutionary in the Independence movement, who hailed from the region. It became one of the 26 districts in the state from 4 April this year after a notification was issued by the government of Andhra Pradesh on 3 April. The administrative headquarters of the district is proposed to be at Paderu. It would be formed from Paderu revenue division of Visakhapatnam district and Rampachodavaram revenue division of East Godavari district. The district will have three constituencies.
