He had served seven DCs for more than five years

Mysore/Mysuru: R. Raju, Assistant Director, Department of Information and Public Relations, Mysuru, has been transferred to the Department Head Office in Bengaluru. He has served Mysuru from August 2016 and was relieved of duties in Mysuru on Mar. 31, 2022 evening.

In a thanking note released to the media this morning, Raju recalled his over five-year stint in Mysuru as challenging and thanked all higher officers and media for their co-operation. The challenges included maintaining the routine office work in the wake of several posts lying vacant.

He said that he got the opportunity to serve in one office and in one post for more than five years, a rare distinction where he got a chance to cover six Dasara festivals, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Nanjangud and Hunsur byelections, Legislative Council elections, Kumbha Mela at T. Narasipur and Panchalingeshwara Darshana at Talakad.

During his stint in Mysuru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mysuru twice and also President Pranab Mukherjee (now late). This apart, the current President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu too visited the city and as the Assistant Director of Information Department, he got ample opportunities to discharge his duties in an efficient manner, Raju said.

When Siddharamaiah rose to become the Chief Minister, performing the duties in his hometown was a unique experience where there was workload even on Saturdays and Sundays. Also, in 2017, Mysuru got Guinness recognition for International Yoga Day, he stated and added that during COVID, he got a chance to work with the officials in controlling the pandemic and also disseminate accurate information to people who remained indoors out of fear.

Press conferences used to be organised live on Facebook and information would be relayed. Raju stated that he got an opportunity to serve seven Deputy Commissioners — D. Randeep, K.B. Sivakumar, Darpan Jain, Abhiram G. Sankar, B. Sharath, Rohini Sindhuri and the present DC Dr. Bagadi Gautham.

He has mentioned that though he has served at Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Mandya, Ramanagara and Chamarajanagar, working in Mysuru was a memorable and great experience.