The city of Vijayawada got a new municipal commissioner as former Srikakulam District Collector Matta Rama Rao assumed charge in the city on Monday. He is succeeding J Nivas, who had taken charge in May 2017. 

Rama Rao said that his main priority would be ensuring that the city was clean and also urged people to segregate dry and wet garbage to support the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC). Thanking the government for giving him the opportunity, he also emphasised on the need for team work. 

“My priority will be groundwork rather than the rankings which will come our way when the former is done properly,” he was quoted as saying. Rama Rao also met with Vijayawada mayor Koneru Sridhar later and the two held a discussion on ongoing development activities in the city besides other issues.

Besides serving as the Srikakulam Collector, Rama Rao also held the posts of Joint Collector, Vizianagaram, and Joint Secretary, Commissioner of Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, AP, Hyderabad, over the span of his career.

With Rama Rao likely to be holding the post during the upcoming simultaneous Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state, he also assured citizens that the VMC would ensure that each person could cast their vote and also said that all infrastructure for the same, would be put into place. The municipal chief of large urban cities are generally delegated to the role of District Election Officer (DEO) by the Election Commission during the polls. 

Meanwhile, in a related development, former Krishna district joint collector Vijaya Krishnan took charge as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA). Speaking to reporters at the authority's head office in Vijayawada, Krishnan said that she would work towards enhancing the state's tourism sector.