VISAKHAPATNAM: Government priorities were his priorities, said Sanjay Kumar who has taken charge as Collector of Visakhapatnam district from outgoing Collector Anil Kumar Singhal here on Monday.

Mr. Singhal has been transferred as a Director in the Union Ministry of Personnel, New Delhi. He would look after the empanelment, posting, establishment and postings of Joint Secretaries in the department.

Government’s programmes, particularly meant for the weaker sections, must be implemented in full measure, Mr. Sanjay Kumar said while talking to reporters.

He was new to the district and could comment on the situation here after a couple of weeks, he said when asked what he was planning to do here.

He had no idea about bauxite mining and the agitation against it, Mr. Sanjay Kumar replied while answering a question.

The Girijana Darbar organised by Mr. Sanjay Kumar when he was Project Officer of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Seethampeta in Srikakulam district, was a success and he might reintroduce a similar programme Spandana (public grievance redressal exercise) conducted in the district in the past after making a study.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar, 35, who hails from Uttar Pradesh and studied engineering in Uttarakhand, belongs to the 1995 batch of IAS officers.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar had undergone training as Assistant Collector in Guntur and was posted as Sub-Collector at Vijayawada and later worked as Municipal Commissioner of Eluru and PO of Seethampeta ITDA. Later he went a on deputation to the Uttarkhand Government and held the posts of Collector of Tehri Gharwal district and Managing Director of the State’s Road Transport Corporation and Industrial Development Corporation. On his return to AP, he was posted as Collector here.

Indiramma programme

“It has been a very happy and satisfying stint here”, Mr. Singhal said. It was during his tenure that the district had topped in the implementation of the Indiramma programme.

But he credited the achievement to all officers, staff from the district to Panchayat level, the district Minister, MLAs and other people’s representatives.

Visakhapatnam could achieve first place in spite of losing six months of time due to the code of conduct being in force for six months, he pointed out.

The district had also achieved targets in all Government schemes, he added and expressed confidence that Mr. Sanjay Kumar, a competent successor, would continue the same progress.

Joint Collector M. Veerabrahmaiah, District Revenue Officer S. Satyanarayana, Municipal Commissioner Mukhesh Kumar Meena were present. The district officials met the new Collector