Fifth Job in AP Handicrafts Development Corporation
Professions, Checkered Career,
and Lessons
From Khangi School to Center for
Excellence-9
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
In 1991, responding to an
advertisement issued by the then Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development
Corporation, headed by IAS officer Ms Gayathri Ramachandran as its Managing
Director, my application was shortlisted, and I joined the Corporation. I began
my tenure as Deputy Manager, progressed to Manager, and later rose to the
position of Senior Manager. During this phase, I was entrusted, in rotation,
with almost every key subject, Administration, Public Relations, and several
other core functional areas, giving me a comprehensive and hands-on exposure to
the organization in its entirety.
After Gayathri Ramachandran,
three to four Managing Directors (AK Goel, Subrahmanyam, Paul Bhuyan etc.)
succeeded her. With each of them, I was fortunate to enjoy professional
goodwill and personal regard. Even when Miryala Venkat Rao assumed charge as Chairman,
the political head of the organization, I continued to enjoy his confidence and
trust. Those years became a period of deep learning and steady contribution.
I acquired valuable insights into
Public Relations, Administration, and project preparation, including projects
preparation, and the processes of securing financial assistance from both the
State and Central Governments. I was closely involved in establishing craft
development centers that directly benefited artisans, and in strengthening
sales through active participation in exhibitions organized by Lepakshi, the
Corporation’s retail outlets.
One achievement from this phase
stands out as a lifetime milestone, something I recall with quiet pride. With
the support and encouragement of Dr V Chandra Mouli, the then Principal
Secretary, Industries Department, we were able to secure land for the Corporation’s
office in the very heart of the city. Subsequently, funds were mobilized,
primarily from the Central Government and equally supplemented by the State
Government, for the construction of the Corporation’s office building at
Musheerabad, near RTC Cross Roads.
It was formally inaugurated by NT
Rama Rao (accompanied by his wife Lakshmi Parwathi) few days before he had to
relinquish office in a political coup by his own followers. Today, that
property is valued at well over a hundred crores, a tangible and enduring asset
for the organization. Documenting through two experts the rare and languishing
handicrafts was another contribution of mine in the Corporation.
Yet, as had often been the
pattern in my journey, even this productive and fulfilling phase was not
without its shadow. A difficult period emerged with the arrival of one
particular IAS officer as Managing Director, an individual whose incompetence
and misplaced suspicions created an atmosphere of strain and distrust.
The experience seemed to stem
from his own past, marked by suspicion and controversy, for which he had
already paid a personal price. As circumstances unfolded, and as I myself was
awaiting a change, that shift eventually came. Thus ended another significant
chapter, one rich in professional growth, institutional contribution, and
lasting outcomes, reinforcing yet again the lesson that meaningful work
endures, even when circumstances compel one to move on.
>>>Last but not least. One friend, perhaps only one friend, who remained a friend till this day is kaladhar without whom my Delhi trips and obtaining funds would have been not possible. Thank You Kaladhar.
{{From my Forthcoming Book
PROFESSIONS, CHECKERED CAREER,
AND LESSONS
(From Librarian to CPRO to CM
KCR)
A Journey from Khangi School to
Center for Excellence}}
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