I Want To Be A Model For All

To make that happen, he visits one or two far eastern countries every week. Last month, he led a 25-member delegation of officials and businessmen to Malaysia and Singapore. Naidu talks to R Srinivasan of his mission and plans for his state. Excerpts:

Q: Your mission to Malaysia and Singapore appears to have been successful. There is talk of a $ 8 billion investment from Malaysia flowing into Andhra.

A: I dont want to quantify anything now. My visit is to study the systems, how they are focusing, how they are going ahead. These south Asian countries, though small in size and resources, have developed in a big way in the last 30 years. They have a clear cut mission, and to fulfill that they are planning. That is the secret of their success. They are injecting the latest techniques, the latest management methods. I want to go ahead in a similar manner. In Andhra Pradesh we have all the resources: human resources, excellent natural resources, mineral wealth, sea coast, everything. But we are not progressing. Why? We lack that work culture. I want to break it. I want to be a model for all. Then I will ask my people to follow me.

 

Q: How will you achieve all this?

A: I have been planning on this changing the thinking and work culture for the past two years. I am planning backward integration at the micro level and will implement it at the macro level. I am asking my people to get involved in this task in a big way. Thats whats behind my concept of Prajala Vaddaku Paalana(administration going to the doors of the people),sramadanam and micro level planning. My concept of water management by the beneficiaries, social audit of public works, right to information, are all part of that exercise.

People are responding in a big way. The programmes are catching up. Once in three months, I want to study one or two countries. Wherever some good work is being done, I want to follow. That is my decision. I am not going to measure or quantify how much we are getting.

Q: What are the learnings from Malaysia?

A: Commitment. Everybody is talking about the Vision-2000 in that country. On that basis, they are planning their own vision. A fallout of this is that everyone is imbibed by a sense of self-confidence, dedication and hardwork.

Q: Have your visits resulted in any projects for Andhra?

A: I made it very clear to them, that Andhra has excellent resources and there is total transparency in the governments functioning. I am having certain guidelines on privatisation. For example, there is an industrial park project. I can give it straight away. There are highways projects, ports. I have to call for tenders. They can bid, we can negotiate and finalise.

Some of them are interested in ports. Some offered to put up industrial parks and some want to set up a world trade centre.

Q: Unlike Tamil Nadu, you have invited Proton, Toyota, Honda and other automobile manufacturers to come to Andhra Pradesh without developing an autoancillary industry first.

A: We have some small ancillary units. But now we are planning in a big way. You will see the results in the not too distant a future.

Q: What about Singapore?

A: I met the Singapore prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, and studied their tourism and ports.

They can develop our ports. Kakinada has excellent facilities, and three berths are ready. I have made an offer to not only add more berths at Kakinada but also to take over the existing facilities. Theyve promised to come and have a look.

Q: Is there any bitterness in Singapore, especially after the Bangalore airport project and the Singapore Airlines-Tata fiasco?

A: Certainly, that problem is there. We have to establish our bonafides.

Q: What about the Malaysian Super Corridor project?

A: They are planning a multi media super corridor in Malaysia. They are setting up the infrastructure for computerisation of all services like tele-education, tele-health and medicare, and tele-administration. They have an excellent data transmission system and are planning a cybercity where they are going to have an electronic government. They are going to set up all the departments there. But they are having some problems regarding human resources. So I requested them to liaise with the hi-tech city in Hyderabad. We are strong in human resources. We can develop the required software and programming. They can have direct access to our hi-tech city.

Q: What are you plans for a paperless government by the year 2000?

A: We are planning it in the next three years. We are working out detailed modalities for setting up an Intranet extending initially to important departments and to the offices of all district collectors. This will be expanded eventually to cover the remaining departments. Distribution data warehouses will be set up for assessing information in the public domain and behind fire-walls. In Hyderabad, we will set up 20 distribution warehouses from where the public can access information on any subject. Finally, connectivity will be extended to the mandal level, the basic unit of administration.

Q: Is there any resistance to the open administration system?

A: No. Everybody is cooperating. Everybody is working towards that system.

Q: What is the programme budget?

A: There is no specific budget. I am trying to put the money from here and there. The World Bank has also given Rs 35 crore for computerisation.

Q: Your vision to transform Andhra Pradesh into the foremost Indian state in 10 years is well taken. But lack of good public schools, chaotic traffic conditions and bad roads could hamper investments.

A: Regarding schools, I am working on that. Traffic has improved and is much better than other cities like Bangalore and Chennai. I am trying to make Hyderabad a much cleaner and more beautiful city. You will see the changes.

Q: What about key infrastructure areas like power and roads.

A: I am going for power in a big way. Even World Bank is prepared to give any amount of money. There are some conditions, of course, but we are working on them.

Q: How much will the tariff increase because of World Bank assistance ...

A: Today, it is cheaper than tomorrow. Every year it will only increase and not come down. What we have to look at is availability and cost. On this basis we have to plan. In three to four years, we will have a situation where there will be no power shortage.

Q: Andhra was the first state to initiate the restructuring of the Electricity Board. The Hiten Bhaya report is a landmark document. But other states like Orissa, Haryana have overtaken Andhra.

A: Here we have some problems ...

Q: Is it the 74,000 strong workforce in the Electricity Board?

A: Not that. For the sake of 74,000 employees I can not sacrifice the interest of 94 lakh consumers.

Q: With the increase in tariff and lifting of prohibition, have your finances improved this year?

A: Yes, from power tariff increase last year I got an additional Rs 600 crore. Last years resource mobilisation efforts were of the order of Rs 2,000 crore. Compared to other states, commercial tax collections have gone up by 20 per cent this year. Stamps and registration receipts increased by 33 per cent.

Q: Where is the major expenditure from these collections?

A: Roads, primary education, rural health and the like. We are privatising highways. We have privatised one port and there are two more Kakinada and Gangavaram. We have great potential as Visakhapatnam is handling one-third of the countrys total sea borne trade.

Q: You still have two-and-a-half years more in office. What would you like to do?

A: I have a clear vision. I am preparing one Andhra Pradesh Vision now. I am engaging an international consultant for this. I have also constituted some task forces for the purpose.Based on this vision, I will ask people to prepare their vision. They will have to plan out. Then we shall proceed together.

Q: You are planning your long-term future only at the state level?

A: Why should I worry about others? I am interested in my people. Yes, the nation is mine. But first of all I am committed to my people. I want to make Andhra the role model and then think of other things. Now I am conducting training programmes for everybody, even in the remotest village. The IAS is also involved. Once they are trained and the message percolates, take off will not be difficult.

Q: What growth rate are you targeting?

A: Lets see. I want a mindset towards development. I want to prove that we can do it. In the last 21 months, theres been no scam in my government, no criticism. Total transparency prevails. But here and there some people want to throw stones. As long as I am clean, nobody can point a finger at me. I want to do some good work.

Q: What is the limitation you face?

A: The limitation is the percolation of my vision. There is no communication gap between me and the people. But there is an infrastructure, a bureaucracy and a political system.