DHOLPUR MAY NOT WITNESS ANOTHER ‘RECORD HOLDER’ LIKE COLLECTOR JAISWAL!

Jaipur: IAS Rakesh Kumar Jaiswal is retiring this month and in the current government, he has made a record of sorts by being the only second Collector who has spent the longest time in one district. He was appointed as Collector of border district of Dholpur on September 21, 2019 and since then, over the 32 months, he has played a long and successful inning. He is second only to Arvind Poswal who has served as Rajsamand Collector for 36 months and in the past 32 months, Collectors of all the districts of the state have been changed and in districts like Kota, Bharatpur, Barmer and Chittorgarh, such changes have occurred 3-4 times. However, even though these changes happened, Jaiswal continued to stay in Dholpur for so long.

But that is not the only record made by Jaiswal, in fact there is more. He is a promotee IAS from RAS and has become Collector at the fag end of his service. Several officials who have become IAS and promotee IAS during the tenure of the current government have been appointed collector and have failed. Jaiswal, who has served as ADM on several occasions during his long service, has been given the reins of a district for the first and perhaps the only time now.

It is also worth noting that prior to Jaiswal, in 16 months from May 2018 to September 2019, 3 Collectors - Suchi Tyagi, Nannumal Paharia and Neha Giri - were appointed for Dholpur in 16 months. Paharia and Giri could stay at the post for merely 8 and 9 months respectively. and thus it is more of a wonder and an important devp that Jaiswal stayed ut for 32 months.

A prime reason for this was Jaiswal’s connect with Dholpur right from his childhood years. Although he was born in Kota, but he studied in Rajakhera in Dholpur. He has served as ADM too in Dholpur and thus he has that ‘local touch’ while understanding the ‘sensitive affairs’ of the district.

He is a hard taskmaster as well. His video from April 4, 2020, where he gave a good scolding to an official during a meeting, went viral on social media. Not only did he ask this official to ‘get lost’ from the meeting for irresponsible working behaviour, he even issued a warning to him that he will give him severe punishment.

Jaiswal came in the ‘limelight’ in November 2021 too when a court in Bikaner sentenced him a month’s civil imprisonment in a contempt case as while being UIT Secretary, he had engaged in contempt of court’s order in a land dispute.

It now remains to be seen who does the state government choose for the Dholpur Collectorate after Jaiswal’s retirement on May 31 and who so ever comes at helm, it would be difficult for them to play long innings like Jaiswal and break the record.