Unveiling a bureaucrat's diary!

What does it take to remember an IAS officer as a sincere bureaucrat synonymous with sincerity, integrity, honesty and dedication, even after his retirement?

The book Janamaali throws light on the hidden, but brighter side of Nandivelugu Muktheswara Rao, who has carried out diverse duties such as the Estates Officer and later the Joint Executive Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of Hathiramji Mutt, the Joint Collector of Adilabad and Hyderabad districts and the Collector of Nalgonda. Post-retirement, he is currently working as the TTD’s Special Officer (Projects).

‘Humane face’

The book was authored by professor of Ayurveda P.V. Ranganayakulu, who now serves as Director of TTD’s Sri Venkateswara Museum at Tirumala. Apart from his interest in literature, culture, fine arts and music, the book highlights the accomplishments of the official and focusses on the “humane face” with which he had executed various tasks.

“While people are highly critical of political corruption and indolence, the lackadaisical attitude of public servants is often ignored. In my two decades of association, I have seen Mr. Muktheswara Rao as an employee-friendly officer, who adopts a creative approach to solving problems and having a missionary zeal to clear pending files and projects.

It is this quality that I want every government employee to emulate and hence this book,” Mr. Ranganayakulu told The Hindu.

At a function organised by Telugu Bhashodyama Samithi on Thursday, the book was formally released by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha Vice-Chancellor V. Muralidhara Sharma, who handed over the first copy to Mr. Muktheswara Rao himself. SVIMS medicine professor and head Dr. Alladi Mohan reviewed the book, while the samithi president G. Sridevi and sSecretary Nadendla Srimannarayana participated.