She was a school-going child when her father gave her first lessons of leadership. She too became habitual of inculcating the values of leadership. When her father, an employee with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) took her to his office, he tried to let his daughter get introduced to big personalities. She met them, talked to them, observed them, studied them, tried to adopt some qualities of them. She closely watched the working of BMC as a child and realised if one had to resolve the issues of common man, one had to be a big leader having power. After working at Vaijapur, Dhule, Ahmednagar, New Delhi, Mumbai, CIDCO, New Mumbai she got posted at Nagpur and became Divisional Commissioner but that thought of serving common man is still there in the mind of Prajakta Lavangare-Verma, the new Divisional Commissioner of Nagpur. Lavangare-Verma brought herself up from a very common life in BDD Chawl in Mumbai. If one goes through the story of Jonathan Livingston-Seagull by Richard Bach one would realise there is a similarity in Jonathan and Prajakta Lavangare-Verma. Jonathan was different than other seagulls.

 

For other seagulls flying was for food while Jonathan never remained a part of that flock as his flying was the life in itself. Lavangare-Verma too stayed in BDD Chawl but she had an aim to go far cliff. Her father was Class-III staffer in BMC, mother was a nurse in a private hospital. Their earning was not much. Prajakta and her three sisters were to be fed by parents. They lived happily, groomed themselves despite living in a condition surrounded by all adversities and went beyond the mountains. Father let little Prajakta meet several officials, compelled her to develop a thought of achieving greatness. But was that the only factor that made Prajakta Lavangare-Verma? Because there are several parents who motivate their children but every child doesn’t have that ambition to grow. While talking to ‘The Hitavada’, she explained, “You rightly pointed out. My parents’ role is surely there. At the same time, I started preparing my mind for the growth, for achieving excellence. I knew I had to endeavour. Somebody motivates, but its reflection comes into the person’s personality when he or she decides to grow.”

 

After completing her initial education, Prajakta Lavangare-Verma studied Human Resource Management in Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Her every action has wisdom, prudence. For example, at one place in the past a woman Sarpanch had approached Lavangare-Verma with a complaint that the Headmaster of the school in her village did not allow her to hoist the flag so she wanted the Head Master to be punished. But, Lavangare did not punish. Instead, she thought with inclusiveness and issued a notice where she made it clear that from that day onwards the Sarpanch would hoist the flag. “I feel leadership should be cooperative, inclusive. I always ask my officials to be considerate with their subordinates. Understand the problems of the staff and then assign them a task where force should not be applied. Working with collaborative and inclusive thought always yields a better result. Most villages are becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF). Lavangare asked her subordinates to awaken such villages, motivate the villagers to do better work.

 

“When I took charge as Divisional Commissioner I mapped key areas for future and given those to Collectors, Chief Executive Officers and others. I shall be reviewing the progress monthly or weekly as per the programmes being given to the districts. During pandemic the visits of the officials to their respective areas have stopped which I think is not good. I myself will start visiting the district places, try to take stock of the situation. We have to spread positivism. For example a teacher of Gadchiroli got the National Ideal Teacher award and I have decided to meet her with a thought that can we do something to make others emulate that lady and walk on her footsteps,” felt an enthusiastic Divisional Commissioner. “I cracked Civil Services examination with a thought to render services to the common man. After spending several years as Public Servant that thought has not changed for which I consider myself very fortunate,” said Lavangare-Verma with exhilaration.