A Gem of an Officer

A Gem of an Officer

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 30, 2017: When senior IAS officer Ratna Prabha recently took charge as Chief Secretary of Karnataka, it was a moment of rejoicement for undivided Dakshina Kannada too. That this  lady officer with remarkable grit and dedication who is now at the helm of bureaucracy in the state, has deep connections with the coast, is indeed something to be proud of.

Ratna Prabha has her roots in  Karkala. Her  mother Dr. Vimala Bai hailed from this town and  was the sister of  well-known businessman  late Sadananda Kamath. As Dr Vimala Bai was a skin specialist  and had served  at Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangaluru as well as in Puttur and Karkala, Ratna Prabha has many contacts in these places.

A post graduate in Sociology and English, Ratna Prabha also has a first rank in French to her credit. She  has fond memories of her visits to her ancestral home in Karkala during vacations. The last time she visited was in 2016  when her mother passed away.

The first posting of this IAS officer of 1981 batch at Bidar as its Assistant Commissioner was remarkable in more ways than one.  During the later years, she  served Bidar and Raichur once again as its Deputy Commissioner and was immensely popular. When she distributed irrigated lands to rehabilitate Devadasis in Raichur, she became synonymous with women’s empowerment.

An avid lover of Konkani, her mother tongue, she speaks Konkani at home and has also  taught the language to her son and daughter. She is also a  photography enthusiast. Ratna Prabha who has shouldered her new responsibility with a great sense of commitment strongly believes that the foremost duty of an IAS officer is to redress public grievances and now being at the helm of bureaucracy, she has promised to strengthen public grievance redressal system.