For growth with equity

Published : Oct 22, 2004 00:00 IST

Interview with Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh.

HAVING run Karnataka's first coalition government, albeit for just four months, Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh is understandably happy. A loyal Congressman who has been a legislator for 33 years, Dharam Singh has adroitly managed to keep the coalition government afloat despite numerous pulls and pressures. Excerpts from an interview he gave Parvathi Menon and Ravi Sharma:

Has the experience of leading a coalition government forced you to re-focus the Congress party's economic priorities?

Not really. Along with our coalition partner, the Janata Dal (Secular), we have formulated a Common Minimum Programme, which has a number of economic measures that we want implemented. We have not given up the economic measures that are dear to the Congress party. For example, we have announced a scheme for distributing rice at Rs.3 a kilogram for people living below the poverty line. This decision has been very appealing to the masses. The other economic measures are the mid-day meal scheme and the offer of agricultural credit to the farmer at 6 per cent. Even the Central government has not taken a decision to offer credit to farmers at 6 per cent. But we in Karnataka have done it.

But there has been a perceptible shift in the emphasis of your government's economic policies, vis-a-vis the previous Congress government led by S.M. Krishna.

This has been necessary. S.M. Krishna had given a lot of importance to information technology (IT) and biotechnology (BT). We are continuing this. But at the same time effective measures have to be taken in the rural areas as well. When we went campaigning during the Assembly elections [last April] the people in the rural areas said: "Your government is only meant for IT and BT, you are not doing anything for the rural areas. But you are now coming and asking for our votes." When we met Madam [Sonia Gandhi] she also told us: "It is a coalition government, to come up to the people's expectations you have to give weightage to rural people."

Does it mean that IT and BT will not see the kind of attention that the Krishna Government was able to give?

That is not correct. We will continue to give those sectors attention. Yes, it is true that the IT mandarins thought we would not be able to give the IT sector the kind of encouragement that the Krishna government had given. But this feeling has now gone. We have had talks with Nandan Nilekani [CEO and President of Infosys Technologies Limited], Azim Premji [Chairman, Wipro Group of Companies], and others like them. They said that we will have to develop the infrastructure. Otherwise they will be forced to shift their operations. The newspapers have also quoted them as saying that if facilities are not given they will shift to Mumbai or Chennai. After my talks with the IT people, I had a meeting with the [Bangalore City] Corporation Commissioner and the Bangalore Development Commissioner and asked them to improve the facilities, especially in the southeast of Bangalore, which has been designated as the `IT Corridor'.

Recently we also inaugurated the Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation. These measures have created confidence in the IT sector. Also, recently when T.R. Baalu, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, was in Bangalore I, along with Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accompanied him to see for ourselves the problems concerning vehicular movement on the road between Bangalore and the Electronics City. After tripartite talks involving the State, the Centre and the IT players, it was decided that the three sides will together build a Rs.360 crores [9 km], four-lane elevated superstructure from Hosur Road [the Bangalore end] to the Electronics City. This will largely ease the traffic congestion on this road. The IT sector will themselves bring in around Rs.100 crores, bearing 33 per cent of the cost of this project, with the remaining funds coming from the State and the Centre. Like this we are methodically moving forward. There are a lot of problems and the resources are very meagre. We also have other sectors to pay attention to, like housing, health, education, irrigation, and agriculture.

What are your initiatives in the agriculture sector?

We have realised that the farmer in Karnataka has the basic ability to overcome even the most trying odds and endemic problems in agriculture. He is also willing to work hard. But what he lacks is access to cheap agricultural credit. Neither the commercial banks nor the cooperative credit structure has been able to meet his needs. Therefore, we have taken a decision to make available agriculture credit through the cooperative banks to farmers at an interest rate of 6 per cent; Rs.60 crores has been set apart for this. A programme to make this available to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, backward classes, minorities and other weaker sections is being drawn up.

Education...

We have increased the plan allocation for the education sector by 61 per cent, from Rs.535 crores to Rs.860 crores.

What about industrial development?

We recently had a meeting of the High Power Committee. I am the Chairman of the Committee. So many public and private sector entities are planning to either expand their operations or set up businesses in Karnataka, such as the Jindal group, Power Grid Corporation, Cipla, Biocon Limited, and so on. Recently the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation announced that it would be investing Rs.25,000 crores in energy projects in the State. Food parks are being set up in six locations.

Four months is a very short period for any government to achieve its objectives. But what would you say have been the major achievements of your government so far?

One of this government's major achievements is in the area of the noon meal scheme. We are setting aside Rs.262 crores for this scheme. During the coming year we will not only extend the scheme to cover all children up to standard VII in both government and grant-in-aid schools, but will also increase its coverage to include all children up to standard X. This will be done in a phased manner.

Right from the beginning, this government has had to face a number of problems. Problems that we never expected came up. For example, on the sharing of Cauvery waters. The Prime Minister called me up and said "Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu are up in arms, they want you to release water". This was after they had met Mrs. [Sonia] Gandhi. I told him that I was as worried as he was. But he said: "You have to release water". Luckily, our Kabini Reservoir [close to Mysore] filled up and we were able to release water. I called the Opposition and took them into confidence. God helped us.

The same thing happened with the Krishna waters. Andhra Pradesh wanted water from the Alamatti dam. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy came to Bangalore twice. He wanted only 20 tmc ft [thousand million cubic feet] of water, but it was very difficult for us to release it. But thanks to the rains, 270 tmcft of water has flowed to Andhra Pradesh. Not officially, but because the reservoir filled up.

On the professional education front, private managements went to the Supreme Court. We worked out a compromise formula with them. We told the private managements that they have to help us. Admissions to private colleges have started and we expect that the few problems with regard to the fee structure will also be sorted out very soon.

Your government passed legislation on admissions to private professional colleges. But the Supreme Court has not upheld it.

Ours is the first State in the country to pass legislation on admissions to private colleges. We have put it across to the Union government that only a Central legislation would be a permanent solution to the problem. When an all-party delegation from Karnataka met the Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, he said he was also for a Central legislation. He asked us to meet the Prime Minister and apprise him of the problem. He [the Prime Minister] also agreed.

We have decided to start five government medical colleges at Mandya, Hassan, Bidar, Raichur and Belgaum. Each college will cost over Rs.100 crores.

According to the Human Development Report, Karnataka's position among the States has slipped from the sixth to the seventh position, falling behind States like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

We are trying to revive our place at the top. And we are taking measures towards this. For example, we have increased the spending on education by 61 per cent. Also on health... I must say that progress is there. But when emotional issues crop up people forget what we have done.

What has been the experience of running Karnataka's first coalition government?

During the 2004 parliamentary elections the people and the media thought that the National Democratic Alliance would come back to power. But the confidence of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and her vigorous campaigning, humbly fighting all odds, going alone from public meeting to public meeting, helped us win the elections. The elections have not only enhanced her stature from being a national leader to that of an international leader, but have also kept the BJP and communal forces out. Here in Karnataka we also wanted to keep the BJP out. Hence the coalition government.

But heading a coalition government is a very difficult thing. This is the first time that we are together with other parties. It is a great and difficult task. Even if we had a huge majority in the Assembly there will be so many internal problems. This is a coalition government so you can imagine... But despite this we are moving forward and giving results. We are a result-oriented government.

To what extent has coalition politics forced you to cut back on Congress policies?

No, no. There are many issues that both parties agree on. After all, the problems facing the people are the same.

The government has spoken of economic growth with equity. How do you marry this with the reforms agenda? Isn't there a conflict between the two?

Growth with equity is the motto of this government. The two are not contradictory. Growth has to take place, investments have to come, all the sectors have to grow. But the benefits of this growth have to go to all sections of society, especially the rural folk and those living below the poverty line. It is the government's initiative to distribute this growth in terms of midday meal scheme, reducing interest rates on farm loans, etc.

What special steps are the government contemplating for the North Karnataka region, which has continued to remain backward? You are from that region.

There has been a demand to amend Article 371 of the Constitution so that more powers and opportunities can be given to that area, like they have done in Assam, Meghalaya and Telengana. Even in the Assembly we discussed this demand. We decided that a delegation would go and meet the Prime Minister. He has assured us of some action when Parliament reconvenes. We also had a discussion with the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil. Patil is himself from Osmanabad district [Andhra Pradesh], which was a part of the old Hyderabad state [under the Nizam of Hyderabad]. So he knows the problems of the area. We have not forgotten that area, it is a most neglected area. Development of that area is part of our common minimum programme.

How do you view your four months as Chief Minister?

I am really very, very happy. There are a lot of odds but we have to face up to them. Whatever I have promised in the Assembly, I have fulfilled. In a democracy persuasion is a must.

How are you managing the various contradictions and differences among the coalition partners?

There are no differences... I have been a member of the Karnataka Assembly for 33 years. I have seen so many ups and downs. A lot of diplomacy is required. We have to be straightforward, discuss issues with our coalition partners, conduct a dialogue with them and understand their problems.

There have been comments that you are prejudiced towards the other backward classes...

Any government has to take all the people along with it. But we have to give weightage to the backward classes, minorities, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. They are the backbone of democracy. This is the philosophy of the Congress party.

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