Mr K Srinivasan, an IAS officer of 1955 batch in the Odisha cadre, who passed away on October 22, was born in Chennai on the February 7, 1931. He had a brilliant student career. His graduation and post-graduation were done from the University of Madras. He married an Odia lady doctor, Rajeswari Dalabehera, when they had served together and he made Odisha his second home State. He worked across the State in many places.
People still remember with fondness Mr Srinivasan as the Collector of undivided Dhenkanal district and the RDC of Northern Division of Sambalpur. His achievements at the Odisha Mining Corporation and Paradip Port Trust are still talked about. He earned a name as one of the most competent Special Relief Commissioners.
In the field I remember having seen him visiting drought and flood-hit parts of the State without getting tired and without caring for protocol either. He walked for miles in the difficult terrains and always took spot decisions. He was one of the most positive and decisive IAS officers I have seen and he did not allow delaying tactics in his juniors. He encouraged excellence wherever he saw it.
None understood the extraordinary urgency of relief administration better than Mr Srinivasan. Even after his retirement, the State Government availed of his services during times of emergency. He had a very large heart and was of a jovial temperament. He himself laughed and made others laugh by his intelligent jokes and appropriate anecdotes from his service life.
He was a keen player of tennis who played this strenuous outdoor game even till he was 70. As president of the Odisha lawn Tennis Association, he did his best to popularise the game wherever he went, Sambalpur or Bhubaneswar. The indoor badminton court at the Mahanadi Club, Sambalpur is still remembered as his singular contribution. He learnt computer at the age of 51 but became a wizard in no time to the extent that he taught computers in the reputed institutes of management. He retired as Member Board of Revenue, the highest grade in the IAS in the State and was a pioneer of computerisation of land records.
He was highly affable, generous and helpful. He was loved and respected by his associates, colleagues and particularly by all the youngsters in the services. He will be remembered for long as a compassionate man and a highly competent officer who took prompt decisions. He was a positive and proactive development-oriented administrator who tolerated no nonsense of the negativist and of the mean procrastinators. He never worshiped mediocrity and he was not afraid of excellence. One could learn from him the art of tackling bosses, political and administrative. May his soul rest in peace!
(The writer is a former Chief Secretary, Odisha)