PNS|Vijayawada/Delhi
V Prasanna Venkatesh, former Collector of Eluru, has been conferred with the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for 2023—one of the highest honours for civil servants in the country.
The award was presented in New Delhi during the 17th Civil Services Day celebrations, recognising Venkatesh’s outstanding work in strengthening governance and public service delivery during his tenure as Eluru’s first Collector. He held the post for over two years.
Under his leadership, Eluru emerged as one of the top 10 districts nationally for administrative excellence. His initiatives focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with emphasis on improving maternal and child health, controlling anaemia, enhancing education and health infrastructure, and ensuring efficient coordination among departments.
A key initiative, the ‘Akshaja’ programme, brought targeted educational and health interventions to tribal communities, empowering marginalised groups at the grassroots level.
Venkatesh is credited with making government schemes more accessible and impactful for citizens, significantly improving service delivery systems across the district.
He is currently serving as Secretary of the Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society, continuing his commitment to public service and educational development.
