Hyderabad, Nov. 14: Politicians promise the moon while out of power but after securing the gaddi, they cite "lack of funds" to reject even legitimate demands.
But the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, is cast in a different mould. He often obliges people on impulse. Take the case of vocational teachers who took their grievances to him immediately after he took charge as the Chief Minister.
When Dr Reddy was told that they were getting a meagre monthly salary of Rs 1,500, he immediately directed the education department to increase their salary by 100 per cent. Even the teachers were surprised since they did not make such a demand.
He also asked the education department to give vocational teachers 15 percent salary increase every year. After four years, the teachers met him again seeking regularisation. Since rules do not permit this at present, Dr Reddy asked his special secretary, Mr Prabhakar Reddy, to increase their salary by another 100 per cent.
In public meetings too, Dr Reddy makes it a point to read the placards and banners raising various demands loudly and give assurances before starting his speech.
When some farmers from the Guntur met him requesting water for their lands, he made it a point to issue an order making it mandatory to give water for two crops in a year. Dr Reddy, is in fact, keen on seeing to it that every section in society gets some benefit from his government, enough to prod them to vote him back to power. This sometimes worries officials who have to take care of the nitty-gritty. While they are struggling to construct two lakh houses per year for weaker sections, the Chief Minister makes plans for 40 lakh houses.
Dr Reddy cannot be blamed since he has to match the promises being made the Telugu Desam and Praja Rajyam. As soon as they announce a dole, he comes out with a better package than theirs. This silences them.
At present, the Chief Minister is announcing so many sops that his rivals can’t keep track of them, not to speak of bettering them. And when he gets into the people-friendly mood, cops have nightmares. "Cross the barricades and come near me," he tells the public at meetings and his security men’s hearts skip a beat.
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