Tamil Nadu government currently has 11 woman bureaucrats serving as district collectors. This is one of the highest representations of women in collector posts that the state has seen recently. TNM takes a look at the career of these 11 women bureaucrats and also spoke to a few of them to understand their development plans for the respective districts.
S Dhivyadharshini, Dharmapuri Collector: As Dharmapuri Collector S Dhivyadharshini, actively responds to the pleas of people on social media and attends to them swiftly. A law graduate, Dhivyadharshini attempted to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in her last year of college in 2009. However, she could not clear it since the UPSC exam clashed with her UG final year exams but Dhivyadharshini did not give up. She attended the exam the next year and stood All India First (Rank 1) in the Civil Services Examination, 2010.
In an interview in 2011 to Rediff, Dhivyadharshini said that she was sure of getting into the service but not as a topper. She said she put in hard work and believed in herself to make this happen. Dhivyadharshini who belongs to the 2011 batch of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) was posted as an Assistant Collector of Coimbatore in 2012-2013. She was then posted as sub collector of Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam between 2013 and 2015 and was transferred as Deputy Home Secretary in 2016 and in Public Works Department (PWD) in 2017.
She has also served as the Regional Deputy Commissioner (North) and as Joint Commissioner (Health) in Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). She was later made Collector of the newly formed Ranipet district. After serving as Trichy Collector, Dhivyadharshini assumed charge as Collector of Dharmapuri on May 19, 2021.
B Gayathri Krishnan, Tiruvarur Collector: Gayathri Krishnan assumed charge as Tiruvarur Collector in June this year. Gayathri had initially worked as the sub-collector of Pollachi. As a sub-collector in the district, she is known for introducing the system of replanting the trees uprooted for laying roads in Pollachi. She also took steps to install speed governors in buses to curb speeding. Gayathri was also posted as Joint Commissioner (Enforcement), Commercial Taxes of Coimbatore district. A native of Kerala, Gayathri belongs to the 2013 IAS batch. She is also a classical dancer.
R Lalitha, Mayiladuthurai Collector: Lalitha, a 2010 IAS batch officer, ranked 12th in the UPSC exam. She was posted as special officer for the formation of the Mayiladuthurai district in July 2020. The district was bifurcated from Nagapattinam district in December 2020.
Lalitha who gained ground knowledge of the district due to serving as special officer was appointed as the Collector for Mayiladuthurai district. Before this, Lalitha also served as joint commissioner (R&F) in Greater Chennai Corporation. Prior to joining service, Lalitha worked as an engineer at the Airports Authority of India in Chennai.
Speaking to TNM, Lalitha said, "It is good to have so many women bureaucrats in positions of power. As far as my plan for Mayiladuthurai is concerned, we have formed a Revenue Department and are quickly forming other departments.”
Lalitha further said that she will address the infrastructural issues, road connectivity and health care in the district.
“Mayiladuthurai is an excellent place for tourism too as Poompuhar, Tharangambadi are present here. Besides turning Mayiladuthurai district into a potential tourist spot, I am also focused on promoting integrated agriculture to increase farmer’s revenue,”said Lalitha.
JU Chandrakala, Ramanathapuram Collector: The 2013-batch IAS officer was first posted as Assistant Collector (Trainee) of Kancheepuram district. She was then transferred as sub-collector of Tirupattur and later appointed as sub-collector of Hosur in Krishnagiri.
She was also given the posting as Executive Director, Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women Limited. Chandrakala is a doctorate in Agriculture from Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi. Chandrakala who is a native of Karnataka assumed charge as Ramanathapuram Collector in June this year.
Shreya P Singh, Namakkal Collector: Shreya who is a 2013 IAS batch officer, served as Additional Collector (Revenue) for the Villupuram district. In June this year, Shreya assumed charge as the Collector of Namakkal district.
J Vijaya Rani, Chennai Collector: Vijaya Rani, who belongs to the 2013 Tamil Nadu cadre of IAS officers,was posted as Chennai Collector in June this year. She was previously posted as Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO). Vijaya also served as the Additional Director of Agriculture. Vijaya is a literary enthusiast who published her book Vanamai Nee! Mazhaiyai Naan! (You’re a forest and I’m rain).
P Ramana Saraswathi, Ariyalur Collector: Ramana, a native of Thoothukudi district, is a chemical engineering graduate. She was selected into the Tamil Nadu civil services in the 1999-2000 batch. Later, she served as District Revenue Officer in Tirunelveli district from 2009-2011.
Ramana also worked as Revenue Divisional Officer for Vellore district in 2004. From 2012 to 2017, Ramana was instrumental in implementing ePDS as joint commissioner, civil supplies and consumer protection. Further from 2017 to 2021, Ramana worked as joint CEO/JD of Tamil Nadu e - Governance Agency (TNeGA) and was part of digitization projects of many departments and online delivery of services to citizens.
Ramana, who took charge as Ariyalur Collector on 16 June this year, is focused on changing the perception of Ariyalur district as one of the most backward districts in Tamil Nadu. From, Education, Health, Agriculture and Irrigation, Ramana is set to plan a holistic development for the district.
P Sri Venkada Priya, Perambalur Collector: Venkada Priya a native of Sivagangai district was promoted to IAS in 2011.Venkada Priya who did her education in Ethiraj College for Women in Chennai served as Revenue Divisional Officer of Dharapuram district in 2005, Trichy District Revenue Officer in 2009. Later in 2017, Venkada Priya served as the director of Sericulture, following which she assumed charge as Perambalur Collector in November 2020.
Kavitha Ramu, Pudukottai Collector: A native of Madurai, Kavitha assumed charge as Pudukkottai Collector in June this year. Besides being a bureaucrat, Kavitha is also a Bharatanatyam dancer who has over 600 stage performances till date.
Kavitha who appeared for civil services in 1999 began working as a full time officer in 2002. Kavitha became a Deputy Collector and served as revenue divisional officer in Vellore. She was also appointed as the Assistant Commissioner in the Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department and later Excise Supervisory Officer in the MP Breweries in Chennai.
For her impressive work in administration, Kavitha got promoted in her cadre to the level of district revenue officer (DRO). As a DRO she served as the joint commissioner for relief and rehabilitation in the Tamil Nadu road sector project (TNRSP). She also served as the DRO for Stamps and Registration Department and later as a DRO for the Chennai district and as the General Manager for the Tamil Nadu State Tourism Development Corporation.
J Innocent Divya, Nilgiris Collector: Innocent Divya took charge as Nilgiris District Collector in July 2017. A graduate of Fisheries Science, she belongs to the 2009 IAS batch. As Collector of Nilgiris, Divya’s priorities have been environment conservation and protection of the fragile and unique Nilgiris biosphere and improving the basic amenities, particularly of the vulnerable Tribal groups indigenous to the Nilgiris District.
Through her work in Nilgiris, Innocent Divya cleared out unauthorised tourist resorts in the SegurValley Elephant Corridor and closed down 38 resorts. Speaking to TNM, Divya said, “I am completing four years this July. From the beginning, I have maintained that Nilgiris district is one of its kind. It is a rare and unique piece of biosphere and it is part of the UNESCO declared biosphere reserve.”
After assuming charge as Collector, Divya ensured that Nilgiris is a safe place both for the people living there and also the animals and the entire biodiversity.“My second priority was to reach the unreached tribal people and to give them what they deserve and to ensure that the underprivileged have equal access to facilities like anyone else,” she said.
M Aarthi, Kancheepuram Collector: A 2012 IAS batch officer, Aarthi has served as Managing Director of TN Cements Corporation Limited (TANCEM). Aarthi was posted as Kancheepuram Collector in June this year.
With Inputs from Bharathi SP and Nirupa Sampath