Tirunelveli collector Shilpa's warning to officials skipping work goes viral

Tirunelveli collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish has been receiving praise for her initiatives in the district. Her pro-people credentials were reinforced by a widely circulated WhatsApp audio in which she is heard warning VAOs who were unavailable when villagers approached them regarding a central government scheme. 

The government announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana scheme in the recent interim budget which promised to give Rs 6000 to farmers annually. To avail the scheme, two senior citizens approached the district collector. When she asked them to meet the respective VAOs, she was told that they were unavailable in office.

In the audio clip, an irate Shilpa is heard slamming the VAOs, saying elderly villagers are forced to knock at her door after repeatedly visiting VAO offices and finding the officers missing. 

She also warned the officers that she would make surprise inspections at their offices and if they were not present, they would face immediate suspension. She informed them that they should have the details of people eligible for the scheme ready when she comes for inspections. 

Though the move by the collector has received a positive response from villagers, VAOs are not so pleased by the message. 

To counter the claims of the collector in the audio clip, another clip by a village officer started making the rounds on the internet. The officer rubbished the claims of the collector and said that they work day and night to survey and collect information from farmers in the village. They also said that they would stage a protest against the collector later in the day. 

Earlier, Shilpa earned praise for admitting her daughter to a government Anganwadi, instead of a private playschool. She also won the hearts of people by paying a visit to an elderly woman who donated her son's organs. She also issued an order to grant her old age pension.