Andhra Pradesh: Young woman Sarpanch of Kurnool district bags gold medal in MTech

AMARAVATI: In a rare feat, a village sarpanch secured gold medal in post-graduation in engineering studies.
A 23-year old V Mounica who had been serving as village panchayat sarpanch of Pedda Marriveedu village of Gonegandla mandal in Kurnool district has achieved the distinction in M Tech from JNTU, Ananthapuram. She received gold medal from governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan at the convocation held in Ananthapuram on Saturday.
Mounica received professor MS Nayudu memorial gold medal as topper in the M Tech. She completed post-graduation in engineer in electrical power systems with 89.92% of marks. Interestingly, Mounica contested and won the panchayat elections in her village last year while in her final year of M.Tech. “It is a big honour for me to get elected as panchayat sarpanch of my native village Pedda Marriveedu. Securing the gold medal at convocation has furthered my joy,” said Mounica.
She said that she had prepared for final year exams from home as the college was closed due to Covid-19. She could attend the college only till the first semester of first year in 2019 and cleared all further examinations without going to college. She had also contested elections while pursuing the studies.
She said that she had been working to transform the village with the support of the local ministers, legislator and district officials. She said that she had already taken up development of roads and drains in the village. She said that she was working on getting drinking water to all the households with the support of local legislator Chenna Kesava Reddy.
She contested the elections after her father Narasanna and local elders backed her to take the political plunge after the seat was reserved to BC woman. Interestingly, Mounica did her engineering after finishing the polytechnic diploma. She was a topper in SSC, Intermediate and also in the engineering.
Panchayat Raj commissioner Kona Sasidhar congratulated the gold medal winner village sarpanch Mounica of Kurnool district.