A year of putting style in second place

In an expansive mood as he completes his first year in office, chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy spoke to Express on a range of topics, emphasising that he’s very much his own self now and there’s merit in getting work done rather than talking about it.Excerpts from an exclusive interview: Now that you’ve been one year in office, what’s been your biggest achievement? When I took over, our finances were not good and there was bad propaganda that welfare schemes would be scrapped.I had to build confidence in the people and the administration that we have the money and we have the will.We have blasted that myth.The programmes are still running, and we have added more.What more proof could one want? Every CM gives himself an identity.We’ve had a Man of the Masses, a CEO CM and a Welfare CM.What are you? It’s not for me to give myself a tag. All I have wanted to do is to bring transparency to governance. All I can say is I’ve been sincere in trying to deliver welfare benefits to the people who need them most. My intention is to see that all eligible beneficiaries have access to what is theirs by right.But what’s Kiran Kumar Reddy’s style? I do things that my heart tells me to do.I’m not an actor. For instance, I won’t have a live video conference open to the media just to show that I’m transparent. An official conference is where officials have to speak frankly, not to put on a show that things are getting done.  When I can’t do something, I will say I won’t be able to do it. That’s the way it’s been in my constituency ever since I first got elected. If a favour can’t be done, I tell them. That will save them the trouble of making futile trips to my office.When you took over, there was talk that you wouldn’t last very long. Have you overcome that impression? That talk was a creation of the media.When they have nothing spicy enough, they put out stories like that.I’ve never lost any sleep over it.What others think of me makes no difference to me.I am here for a purpose and I have work to do.But are you a more viable CM now than when you took over? What do you mean by a viable CM? Someone who’ll last long enough to take the party to the next election? When I took over a year ago, I said clearly that I needed one full year to sort out issues and come to a turnaround point.We have reached that point now. I had to deal with an agitation that had to be handled delicately, gently and patiently. And we have done that. We are stabler now than a year ago. And we look forward to 2014.Do you smile more often than you did 365 days ago? (Laughs) It’s not a question of smiling or frowning. If there’s a problem, it’s got to be solved. Sometimes we face difficulties. Sometimes we achieve results, sometimes we don’t. Which of your programmes are purely Kiran Kumar Reddy programmes? That doesn’t really concern me.More than conceiving a programme, implementation of it for the public good is more important. I want implementation to be fool-proof. And transparent.But there must be one programme that’s special to you? Each is important to me. Each is meant to achieve one purpose. I utilise Rachabanda to ensure implementation. In Mee Kosam we use technology to deliver documents easily and at no expense. Indira Jala Prabha will irrigate lands given to SC/STs 30-40 years ago and make them productive. Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu is aimed at giving jobs to youth. Then there is scholarship reimbursement. We’ve paid out Rs 5,600 crore including arrears this year. Each is special.Is your accent on governance or politics? At the time of elections, we have to take a political approach.When the results are announced, you get down to work. That’s what I think the job of a chief minister is. Finally, it is performance that the people will judge us by.You fancy yourself as the Nitish Kumar of the Congress? (Laughs) I don’t know what Nitish Kumar is all about. All I know is that I have to do what is expected of me. I’m a details man. I study the subject thoroughly before taking a decision. I would like to implement a decision as perfectly as possible.Can you say for certain that the Congress is now out of the shadow of YSR? YSR was a representative of the Congress. He was implementing Congress programmes. So am I.What kind of support do you have from the Centre? For instance, the Prime Minister supported you when you took up the demand for deletion of clause 14 F of the Presidential Order. Can you count on him for his continued support? I have a good support in the central government. The Prime Minister and others help me. I can count on them always. You had clause 14 F deleted.Why did you not do something more to resolve the Telangana question? You were born in Chittoor...(Laughs) I wasn’t born in Chittoor. I was born in Hyderabad and lived in Begumpet all my life! So being a Hyderabadi, do you feel that there’s merit in the grievances of the people of Telangana and that you might be able to do something about it? I have.I have done certain things to soothe the feelings of the people of Telangana.For instance, I have appointed a Telanganite as advocategeneral, then another as law secretary.Then I took up employment programmes and then had 14 F deleted. All this was intended to soothe the feelings of the people of the region.As far as the larger Telangana question is concerned, the decision is not mine to take. All the same, I have represented their fears and feelings to the Centre.The Centre is looking into the issue. In case the state is divided, would you continue to live in Hyderabad? (Laughs) I have a house in Hyderabad. I will stay here only.Some rapid-fire questions now.How cohesive is your ministry? Very cohesive.Will YS Jagan Mohan Reddy come back to the Congress? The party has to take a decision on this.The person who intends to join the Congress too will have to take a decision.Will he or won’t he come back to Congress? I cannot predict. I am not a prophet.How do you plan to face the no-confidence motion that’s coming up? I see that as an opportunity to showcase the programmes and schemes that I have taken up.Are you comfortable about working with ministers who served in the YSR Cabinet and whose decisions are now under the scanner of the CBI? An investigation is going on now.Till it is over, you cannot pass judgement on any one.Do you think your second year in office will be more comfortable than the first? I think we’ll see results. You do the work and results will come duly. You can’t harvest a crop that’s not ripe.