U. Sagayam is a former career Indian civil servant who formerly served as Vice Chairman of
Science City Chennai. During his career, he served both in
Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
, as officer in the Tamil Nadu cadre and
Central Secretariat Service
Central Secretariat Service ( hi, केंद्रीय सचिवालय सेवा; abbreviated as CSS) is the Public administration, administrative Civil Services of India, civil service under Group A and Group B of the Central Civil ...
.
Sagayam, whose office door bears a sign reading "Reject bribes, hold your head high", repeatedly antagonized influential politicians and their supporters in Tamil Nadu.
[ In 2011, he was appointed to oversee state elections in the ]Madurai District
Madurai district is one of the Districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts of the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India., National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Ag ...
; his strict enforcement of the laws against vote-buying played a role in the change of state government. Beginning in 2012, his investigation of complaints of illegal granite-mining in the Madurai area led to charges against a number of politicians and businesses, including a mining company founded by a scion of one of Madurai's most influential political families.
Sagayam efforts to eliminate corruption reportedly led to him being transferred for 26 times in the first 29 years of his career. They have also won him a reputation for probity; in the words of a ''Daily News and Analysis
Publications established in 2005
Newspapers published in Mumbai
English-language newspapers published in India
Daily newspapers published in India
Essel Group
2005 establishments in Maharashtra ...
'' correspondent, "The common man's collector has become the hero of the local folklore".[
]
Early life and education
Sagayam is the youngest of five sons of a farmer from Perunchunai village, Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a large city located on the banks of the Vellar River. It has been ruled, at different times, by the mutharaiyar dynasty , Cholas, ...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. He attended a Tamil-medium panchayat elementary school[Leena, S. Bridget, and Arundhati Ramanathan.]
"The saga of Sagayam and Durai".
''Live Mint''.
2012-12-07. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
a
Wayback Machine
/ref> and then a Government Higher secondary school at Ellaippatti. He received his master's degrees in social work and in law.[Iyengar, Pushpa.]
"Under a Dangerous Motto".
''Outlook''.
2011-08-22. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
Archived 2014-09-17
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Career
Sagayam joined the Central Secretariat Service
Central Secretariat Service ( hi, केंद्रीय सचिवालय सेवा; abbreviated as CSS) is the Public administration, administrative Civil Services of India, civil service under Group A and Group B of the Central Civil ...
in 1989 after qualifying through the Civil Services Examination
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a national competitive examination in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to higher Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Se ...
. After getting inducted, training and then after working for 7 months in New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
, Sagayam voluntary resigned from the Central Secretariat Service
Central Secretariat Service ( hi, केंद्रीय सचिवालय सेवा; abbreviated as CSS) is the Public administration, administrative Civil Services of India, civil service under Group A and Group B of the Central Civil ...
. He later took the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) is a department of the government of Tamil Nadu that is responsible for governing the recruitment of personnel into the state's public service. It is the successor of the Madras Service Commiss ...
exams and was appointed in the Tamil Nadu State Civil Service. After attaining seniority in the service, he was promoted to Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
in 2001 batch.
In year 2020, he applied for voluntary resignation from IAS, two years before his natural retirement/superannuation. In 2021, Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...
accepted his resignation.
In 1991, he started his career in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
as Tamil Nadu Civil Service officer, as a sub-divisional magistrate in the district of Ootacamund
Ooty (), officially known as Udhagamandalam (also known as Ootacamund (); abbreviated as Udhagai), is a city and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the South Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is located ...
. In Ooty, Sagayam became embroiled in a dispute with the District Collector
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reven ...
, whom he accused of favouritism toward the operators of large tea estates. Sagayam was relieved of his charges and transferred to another.[
By 2000, Sagayam was an Additional District Magistrate in ]Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its temple ...
. There, he closed the Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
bottling plant and forbade the sale of its output after dirt was found in several bottles. He also took on the so-called "sand mafia", responsible for unauthorized mining of sand from the bed of the Palar River
Palar is a river of southern India. It rises in the Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka state, and flows in Karnataka, in Andhra Pradesh and in Tamil Nadu before reaching its confluence into the Bay of Bengal at Vayalur abo ...
, a practice that increases erosion and the incidence of flooding. Sagayam ordered a halt to dredging, and declined to rescind his order despite threats of physical violence.[Sugden, Joanna]
"Why India has a 'Sand Mafia'".India Realtime.
2013-08-06. Retrieved 2014-12-16
Archived 2013-08-24
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In 2004, Sagayam, now working as deputy commissioner of civil supplies in Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, discovered that subsidized gas cylinders intended for domestic use were being illegally used by restaurants. He confiscated 5000 such cylinders.[
By 2009, Sagayam was posted as the ]District Collector
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reven ...
of the Namakkal district
Namakkal District is one of the 38 districts (an districts of Tamil Nadu, administrative district) in the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, India. The district was bifurcated from Salem District with Namakkal town as headqua ...
. In that year, he posted details of his personal assets—a bank balance of Rs 7,172 and a house in Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
, jointly owned with his wife, worth Rs 9 lakh
A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2,2,3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. For ex ...
(Rs 900,000)—on the district website. Although this information was on file with the government and thus available for public perusal, Sagayam said, he felt that it should be made more visible to the public. In an interview with the ''Deccan Herald
''Deccan Herald'' is an Indian English language daily newspaper published from the Indian state of Karnataka. It was founded by K. N. Guruswamy, a liquor businessman from Ballari and was launched on 17 June 1948. It is published by The Printe ...
'', he stated that the district collector should set an example of honesty for his subordinates, and that actions like his might tend to rehabilitate the tarnished image of civil servants. Sagayam was the first IAS officer in Tamil Nadu to publicize his financial information thus.[Venkatesh, M. R.]
"IAS officer makes assets public".
''Deccan Herald''.
2009-11-11. Retrieved 2014-12-16
a
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In Namakkal, Sagayam attempted to reform the village administrative officer (VAO) system. He pursued VAOs who lived in cities, far away from the villages that they were charged with overseeing. When VAOs and local politicians attempted to have Sagayam transferred, over 5000 villagers protested the transfer attempt, forcing its withdrawal.[
]
Madurai
In March 2011, at the behest of the Election Commission of India
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body. It was established by the Constitution of India to conduct and regulate elections in the country. Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the power of superintendence, di ...
, Sagayam was posted as the District Collector
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reven ...
of Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
, and as the ''ex-officio'' District Election Officer, he charged with the task of ensuring that the 2011 Legislative Assembly elections were conducted fairly. Sagayam arrived in the state 20 days before voting commenced. He staged a campaign to educate voters about the law, and to urge them to reject proffered bribes; he also stepped up efforts to detect vote-buying, and confiscated Rs20lakh (Rs 2,000,000) intended for distribution to voters. Sagayam was commended by India's Chief Election Commissioner for his work on the election.["How collector David made Goliath MK Alagiri run for shelter".]
''DNA''.
2011-09-16. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
Archived 2014-12-16
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[Rajasekaran, Ilangovan]
"Removing roadblocks".
''Frontline''.
2014-12-12. Retrieved 2014-12-16. Note that this story consists of five pages.[Aravind, Indulekha.]
''Business Standard''.
2012-09-22. Retrieved 2014-12-16
a
Wayback Machine
[Ramanujam, K.]
"CEC pats officials for free-and-fair elections".
''Times of India''.
2011-09-05. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
Archived 2014-12-17
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In September 2011, Sagayam again found himself opposed to Alagiri. In constructing a family-owned engineering college near Madurai, Alagiri and family members had purportedly destroyed irrigation canals used by hundreds of impecunious farmers. Sagayam issued a "strongly worded summons" to Alagari and his wife and son, forcing him to come before a court and explain why action should not be taken against them.[
]
Granite quarrying
In May 2012, Sagayam investigated reports of illegal granite quarrying in the vicinity of Madurai. These activities had been noted in 2008 by a Right to Information
The Right to Information (RTI) is an act of the Parliament of India which sets out the rules and procedures regarding citizens' right to information. It replaced the former Freedom of Information Act, 2002. Under the provisions of RTI Act, an ...
(RTI) activist. Pursuant to his complaint, the Madras High Court had ordered an inquiry in 2009, but nothing came of it until 2010, when Tamil-language daily newspaper ''Dina Bhoomi'' ran a series of articles. This led to the arrest on specious charges of the RTI activist and the ''Dina Bhoomi'' editor. The issue was brought up in the 2011 elections, and pursued after the AIADMK government was formed.[
Sagayam's May 2012 report accused several senior officials of collusion with illegal granite miners, and suggested that losses to the state from illegal mining amounted to at least Rs 16,000 ]crore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
(Rs 160 billion), and possibly twice that. Four days later, he was transferred from his position as district collector to a post as managing director of Co-optex, a handloom weavers' cooperative in Chennai.[
Sagayam came into conflict with a superior at Co-optex as well. When a manager at the cooperative was assaulted by members of AIADMK, Sagayam filed a complaint against the assailants, contrary to the wishes of state textiles minister S. Gokula Indira. He also refused to provide permanent office space in the cooperative's building to Indira, maintaining that this would interfere with the cooperative's functioning. As a result of this, Sagayam was transferred twice in September 2014: first to the position of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy commissioner; then, two days later, to the vice-chairmanship of Science City in Chennai."Meet Tamil Nadu’s own Khemka".''Hindustan Times''.]
2014-09-09. Retrieved 2014-12-14
Archived 2014-09-15
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Although the granite-quarrying investigation had languished after Sagayam's transfer, the issue did not die. Sagayam's report was leaked to the press in August 2012, prompting a public outcry that compelled the government to pursue the matter. Under Anshul Mishra, Sagayam's successor as district collector, a number of arrests were made in January 2013; Several officials, including two former Madurai district collectors, were investigated for alleged collusion with illegal granite operations. However, in June 2013, Mishra was transferred, and the investigation again lost all momentum.["Madurai will miss Mishra".]
''The Hindu''.
2013-06-29. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
Archived 2013-12-13
a
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In July 2014, as a citizen activist filed a petition with the Madras High Court
The Madras High Court is a High Court in India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is located in Chennai, and is the third oldest high court of India after the Calcutta High C ...
, seeking to rekindle the inquiry. In response, the court appointed Sagayam to the post of Special Officer-cum-Legal Commissioner, charged with the task of investigating all mining operations in Tamil Nadu, and ordered the state government to relieve him of the Science City post. The government attempted to contest the order, maintaining that the investigation was concluded; the court rejected their arguments and, in November 2014, Sagayam was duly appointed. It was suggested, however, that the state government might attempt to limit his investigation to granite operations in the Madurai area, keeping him from looking into sand mining on the beaches and along the rivers of the state.[
Sagayam's investigation was allegedly obstructed from several quarters. District officials purportedly gave him little cooperation; his room was allegedly wiretapped; and he and his team were purportedly attacked by goons acting on behalf of granite-mining interests. On one occasion, when the police were slow to exhume bodies of alleged victims of ]human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler, an authoritative/priestly figure or spirits of dead ancestors or as a retainer sacrifice, wherein ...
carried out by quarry operators, Sagayam spent the night in the graveyard to ensure that no one tampered with the evidence. The investigation discovered evidence of extensive illegal granite-mining from public and private land, and diversion or destruction of rivers and water bodies. Raids on the houses of two former Madurai collectors suggested complicity by government officials.[Sundar, S.]
"Sagayam spends the night at graveyard".
''The Hindu''. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2017-08-13.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sagayam, U.
1962 births
Living people
People from Pudukkottai
People from Pudukkottai district
Indian Administrative Service officers
Central Secretariat Service officers
Indian Tamil people
Indian civil servants
Indian Christians