Remembering two IAS Officers of 1970s
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Remembering two IAS Officers of 1970s

June 19, 2023

By K.B. Ganapathy, Senior Journalist

Mysore/Mysuru: These are the times for the senior citizens of our city to remember some of the government officers who worked in Mysuru.

One was Jayakumar Anagol, the Divisional Commissioner (30.4.1977 to 1.2.1980), who also held the charges of other departments till the new appointees came in.

Once, the local evening newspapers carried an item about bonded labourers kept in a rich farmer-landlord’s house near Hunsur. The allegation was made by a local politician.

That very evening, the Divisional Commissioner Jayakumar Anagol directed the Police to investigate and take action. The result was four bonded labourers were released and given their freedom and dignity the very next day.

There was another officer by name David Syiem, IAS, who was the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner during 1977-79. In those days, the city roads were in a very bad shape and some of them were not motorable at all.

D.R. Krishnamurthy, the owner of ‘People’s Book House’ (now closed), had written about the pathetic condition of the roads in the local newspapers.

The very next morning, Syiem telephoned the complainant (Krishnamurthy) and asked him to show the roads that he had complained about. Krishnamurthy readily agreed and went on his scooter to the Commissioner’s office thinking that from the office he would sit in the Commissioner’s car and drive around to show the damaged roads.

However, to Krishnamurthy’s utter surprise, Syiem, the young officer, beaming a smile shook hands with the complainant and said ‘Come let’s go.’ Both of them climbed down the steps to the portico where the Commissioner’s car was parked. Syiem asked Krishnamurthy how he came there and was told he came by the scooter. Syiem said, “Come let us go on your scooter.” Krishnamurthy was bewildered at the suggestion.

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It was for the first time in the history of Mysuru City Corporation that its Commissioner went around the city as a pillion rider on a scooter of the complainant for inspection of roads. Next day it made news in the morning newspapers.

I remembered these two officers as I was driving this morning on the Karanji Tank Bund road, which had made news last evening as shown in the picture below.

Should we say more?

7 COMMENTS ON THIS POST To “Remembering two IAS Officers of 1970s”

  1. Javeed Ahmed says:

    Its indeed true I remember this very well its n my fresh memories I was doing my graduation in JSS college these incidents became talk of the Town everybody showered praises upon these officers …thanks star of Mysore for this publication…

  2. Never Presto Questo says:

    Hey Ahmed
    It appears that you have had a very poor education in that third rate JSS college, to post that piece, which is riddled with mistakes in English! Better to have posted that piece in your Urdu, which you write from right to left!

  3. Gusto says:

    This is Mr Ganapathy, who calls himself senior journalist! What does that mean, an older journalist or a more experienced journalist.
    Mr Ganapathy aling with a maasive number of non-Mysoreans like himself arrived to Mysore, forced the authorities to clear the wonderful forest around it, to make way for houses for these non-Mysoreans.
    He is a Mercedes car user, and no one saw him walking, either then or now. ] The bonded labour issue still exist. As for the city roads in bad shape then, by 1977, these car-loving non-Mysoreans living in far way housing extensions used the roads so much driving around in their vehicles, that those roads never recovered from that destruction.

  4. BRMRao says:

    Only due to such dedicated officers atheist the
    things are moving now and then to fecilite the public in certain areas which is a good work
    undertaking by them.

  5. BRMRao says:

    People remember such officers for their good work and the initiative taken by them is appreciable in best interest of public.

  6. Bala says:

    Please take a look at Mirza Road, next to the office of the Police Commissioner. One call from the IPS officer to MCC could have made a difference.

  7. Never Presto Questo says:

    @BRM Rao
    Hey bfool, they were doing their work and were paid for it.
    @Bala
    Why did not call the offcer yourself?
    Both of you are neaderthals.

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