Against all odds

Posted as AMC, Pune, in September 1997, Kapoor was faced with the not too pleasant task of boosting the revenue from octroi. With funds dwindling rapidly, the PMC had no alternative but to concentrate on the octroi department.

The department was short-staffed and their morale was at an all-time low. Tackling the traders was no easy job either, admits Kapoor, who took up the challenge, formed his teams and code-named various operations to decisively raise the revenue over two years. The revenue shot up from Rs. 161 crore in 1996-97 to Rs. 182 crore in 1997-98 and Rs. 212.10 crore in 1998-99. The PMC may have registered a 34 per cent increase, but not without its officials being roughed up by arrogant traders and Kapoor getting his share of tension, anonymous threatening phone calls and even unpleasant showdowns with elected representatives.

But what kept him going on was the tremendous response from Puneites. Whether they lauded the octroi department8217;s achievements or enthusiastically participated in the vermiculture project, the citizens have played an important role, he avers. Oh yes, they are quick to point out mistakes, but equally quick to appreciate the work done, smiles Kapoor.

His interest in the fields of education and health led him to invite experts from Aurangabad to train primary and secondary level teachers of the PMC-run schools, apart from upgrading the services at PMC-run hospitals and kicking off an AIDS-prevention campaign. The much-publicised pink and white cards inviting complaints about the garbage menace fetched a good response from the citizens initially. However, Kapoor admits that unlike the octroi department where the results are quick and visible, it takes time and concerted effort to bring about changes in hospitals and schools.

Kapoor, who hails from Rewari in Haryana, topped his B.A and M.A Eng. and was inspired by his father to take up a career in the administrative services. You can imagine the aura of an English Deputy Commissioner during the pre-partition days, Kapoor explains while recalling that a family of doctors and teachers expected him to be different. 8220;Why can8217;t my son be like that,8217; was my dad8217;s thinkingquot; and sure enough, Kapoor went on to notch the 42nd rank in the IAS examination.

His record of attaining the highest marks in history still remains unbeaten, Kapoor claims, though mischievously adding that he didn8217;t study the subject after Standard X. But before one can exclaim at such a feat, the AMC dishes out yet another quote by none other than Napolean 8211; 8220;Those who want to make history must read history8230;!8221;

Kapoor8217;s administrative career took off in September 1993 when he was posted as sub-divisional officer at Morshi in Amravati to the tribal Bhandara district in 1995. He was posted as Pune8217;s additional municipal commissioner in September 1997 and he also served as the additional collector for two months before resuming charge as AMC and within a span of two years has worked for at least four municipal commissioners 8211; Ramanath Jha eight months, Rajiv Agarwal 10 months, Arun Bhatia six days and the present Girish Pradhan.

He may respect Bhatia8217;s guts but is tight-lipped about the controversy over the senior IAS officer and the ongoing agitation by Puneites demanding his reinstatement as municipal commissioner. The AMC who strictly follows a gamut of beliefs close to his heart feels that one doesn8217;t work too hard if he/she falls in love with the posting. Needless to say, the workaholic who longs to spend more time with one-year-old daughter Anuva, however, is on his feet within seconds to rush to the scene of the fire. Never mind if he had just entered a movie hall to watch The Thin Red Line when his mobile rang after five minutes to alert him about the fire8230;!