Hephsiba Rani as New Udupi DC! Good News for Good Citizens, Bad News for Corrupt Officials?
Mangaluru: On 19 June 2015 Team Mangalorean had done an exclusive interview with MCC Commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati and published in Mangalorean.com with the title named “https://www.mangalorean.com/premature-transfer-of-strict-smart-mcc-commissioner-hephsiba-rk-we-have-lost-a-gem/- “and the article received lots of positive comments, many saying that she shouldn’t have been transferred for all the honest, strict and prompt hard work she did as a Commissioner. But the greedy and corrupt MCC officials didn’t wanted her here nor they wanted her back even after citizens urged the department to bring her back. You know why because the OFFICIALS COULDN’T STAND HER RULES/STRICTNESS AND ABOVE ALL, THAT THEY COULDN’T MAKE MONEY ILLEGALLY?
And now after a good and hard working DC of Udupi Priyanaka Francis has been transferred, the citizens should be proud and happy that one more lady who is also strict and honest is taking up the post – and that is Hephsiba Rani Korlpati. While it is good news for citizens of Udupi, I am quite sure it will be bad news for corrupt officials in the administration, who were counting on making their extra bread and butter through corruption. Oh well-let’s hope and wait and see, whether Hephsiba will succeed in remaining as DC of Udupi for a long term, or could be transferred within a short time, like she was done while she was at the helm as DC of DK few years ago.
Many Udupi citizens agree that Priyanka Francis was one of the BEST DC that they had so far, and who will be remember you for her services. One of our reader had even commented saying that ” Priyanka Francis was very efficient and honest. But it is learnt that even Hephsiba Rani also has the same qualities and similar track record, before she was transferred from Mangaluru in 2015 for being very strict and honest. Hope she will continue the same in Udupi, when she takes up the DC post in Udupi. And to the corrupt officials and crooks who think that they got relief after DC Priyanka got transferred, wait till you get surprises from “Rani”?
Regarding the early transfer of Hephsiba Rani was reportedly at loggerheads with ruling Congress councilors of the corporation. After five months of posting, the State government transferred Commissioner of the Mangaluru City Corporation Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, IAS, as the Chief Executive Officer, Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat. She was one among 14 officers, including 12 IAS officers, transferred in the State on 12 June 2015. A 2011-cadre IAS officer she had taken charge as the commissioner on January 1, 2015. Ms. Korlapati (27) had secured the 20th rank in the All India Civil Services Examination in 2010 and she was the second IAS officer to take charge as the regular commissioner of the corporation in the recent years after Sameer Shukla, IAS, who was the Commissioner from August 8, 2008 to May 28, 2009. Ms. Korlapati had taken charge after the corporation did not have a regular commissioner for six months.
L -R: DC Priyanka Francis and DC Hephsiba R Korlapati
Ms. Korlapati and the ruling Congress councilors were reportedly not getting along with the latter accusing her of not respecting them, being very strict and not initiating development projects. But she has denied the charges. When Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the city this April, councilors complained to him about the commissioner. Siddaramaiah had then told media that there was some misunderstanding between the Mayor and the Commissioner and that it would be sorted out. Later, the councilors had complained about her to Vinay Kumar Sorake, then Minister for Urban Development, in the presence of the commissioner at the corporation.
But senior Congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary at one press conference had openly supported the commissioner stating that she was a good officer and attempts were being made to shift her without a valid reason. Congress councilors were in for a shock when the commissioner did not sit through the “development cell” meeting reportedly stating that The Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, did not permit constituting such a cell.
She created a controversy by reportedly refusing to enter the Safai Karmacharis quarters in Jeppu Mahakalipadpu. She later put an end to it by visiting their houses and having food. Earlier before her posting the Congress councilors had opposed the posting of H Prasanna, a KAS officer, and ensured that he did not continue after taking charge on July 16, 2014. He was later transferred to Karwar.But whatever Commissioner Hephsiba was strict, that she never approved any payments of bills before she checked any developmental work was complete and to its standards. This way the officials and contractors were not able to make any money, and therefore they wanted her out of here.
Many other allegations were made against Hephsiba by the councilors, for which commissioner Hephsiba had said were baseless, stating that she was running the administration as per the rules and regulations, and not according to orders/suggestions thrown at her by her colleagues. When I asked her during the interview in 2015 as to whether it was fair to transfer her within such a short time in the office, she was reluctant to give an answer, instead said, it was government’s decision and I will have to accept it. But for what ever reasons she has been transferred, citizens still feel that politics and efforts by corrupt minded councilors had played an major role in her transfer from here.
Yes, Hephsiba-She Came, She Saw…but She couldn’t conquer the hearts of many more Mangalureans, for the reason- just after five months of posting, the State government transferred this Smart, Strict, Educated, Adept,Talented, Dedicated, Committed, Transparent, Knowledgeable, Positive, Proven, more Focused than her predecessors- Commissioner of the Mangaluru City Corporation Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, IAS, as the Chief Executive Officer, Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat. No doubt that good and concerned citizens of Mangaluru had full hopes in this young lady Commissioner that the City would progress and develop during her tenure, and that many things would be accomplished under her leadership, some which no MCC officer would realistically ever be able to deliver- but all their hopes went in vain, due to the unexpected transfer of Hephsiba R Korlapati.
In conclusion, about corruption in government dept, In my perspective, the corruption is caused by both the giver and the taker. It should be taken as the crime for shortcuts of the processes because many times we people pay bribes to make our jobs done early. If common people stop paying bribes the corruption will automatically eliminated. So instead of blaming each other we need to change ourselves and ensure that we should not get involved in this social evil. Let’s all work to weed out corruption/bribery at government offices- In my concern, wherever we go corruption is there. If we take any organization, government jobs whatever first they think how to satisfies their individuals needs so that they want to go in a wrong way. They not only corrupt the organisation they corrupt also the India’s growth, and for that matter, even Mangaluru. Let’s get united and end corruption-together we can make a difference. Thank You!
Team Mangalorean extends heartfelt congratulations to incoming DC of Udupi Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, and wish her all success in her work in administering her duties to the best of her abilities and to the sheer satisfaction of the citizens of Udupi. The Citizens of Udupi can look forward for a good governance of the City under the tenure of DC Hephsiba RK. Best of luck!
Also Read Related Articles:
- Premature Transfer of Strict and Smart MCC Commissioner Hephsiba RK- We Have Lost a Gem
- Mangaluru: Efforts by Some Councillors to Transfer MCC Commissioner Hephsiba Rani Pay off
- Let’s Support Honest Govt Officers-One Among Them is MCC Commissioner HR Korlapati
- With Transfer of a Strict Commissioner, Will MCC Once Again Become ‘M-angaluru C-orrupt C-entre’?