Haradanahalli Deve Gowda Kumaraswamy, 58, busy coping with the 20-plus nationwide leaders who came for his inauguration, took day out to talk to TOI at the challenges ahead. Excerpts from his first, unique interview as chief minister.
Congratulations, Mr Kumaraswamy. What are your priorities as CM?
My most sensible precedence is addressing problems relating the farming sector. I can work towards making sure that farmers don't face any crisis and live as much as the arrogance they've reposed in me. Next on my checklist is infrastructure construction, particularly Bengaluru. We need to expedite work instead of dragging it mentioning trivial problems. We will focal point on employment generation, girls empowerment, well being and education.
Your oath-taking ceremony was once effectively marketed as the beginning of a new chapter in nationwide politics…
Of course it is. It is special as over 20 nationwide leaders, together with chief ministers and ministers, attended it. Can you tell me one such ceremony attended via such a lot of leaders from other parties and states? This is for the primary time in history that this sort of factor has took place and it indicators the beginning of a new chapter in the nation.
There’s already criticism about your father micro-managing some administrative tasks. The bureaucratic chiefs are mentioned to have held a gathering with him even prior to you turned into the CM and it is being described as backseat using. How do you envisage your father’s position?
My father is the senior-most politician and his enjoy will surely be utilized. But I wish to make it transparent to all that he'll not micro-manage the administration. I'm the CM and I can dangle the reins. With regard to my father’s assembly with the manager secretary and police chiefs, it was once a courtesy name via the latter. My father’s advice will probably be liked; I reiterate that he'll not intrude. I've lived with the folk and I too know their pulse, I'm the folk’s CM.
Will you proceed with most of Siddaramaiah’s welfare schemes together with the bhagyas, particularly Anna Bhagya and Indira Canteen?
We won't discontinue any of the programmes started via the Siddaramaiah executive. We will improvise at the identical and start new programmes.
How will you maintain problems concerning responsiveness and cooperation from the BJP-led Centre? The Congress executive cited this as a major hurdle.
Fighting it out at the hustings is other and coping with the Centre is other. I can not go for a disagreement with the Centre. We will convince them about our necessities and persuade them to act favourably. Karnataka is the second easiest earnings producing state in the nation and we are hoping the BJPled executive appreciates the state’s contribution and takes decisions accordingly. The Centre should not display step-motherly treatment to Karnataka because they aren't in energy here and should not politicise the entirety.
Your celebration has the picture of not being too serious about Bengaluru.
I believe you that Bengaluru’s image and brand-building has taken successful. But I wish to assure all that Bengaluru’s growth and construction will probably be most sensible on my schedule. Does anyone take into accout when was once the closing time the head of a foreign nation first landed in Bengaluru? That is the state of affairs we have reached. We need to revive Bengaluru’s glory and I can work on it.
Do you have a roadmap for it?
Of course, yes. I can not take pleasure in empty rhetoric. I perceive the importance of Bengaluru at the global map. There are many foreign consulates in Bengaluru, we can coordinate with them actively and ensure influx of extra investments and will also source experience with regard to city construction. I can take the consuls general into confidence at the side of others and focus on bringing back Bengaluru’s glory. This is simply one of the vital strategies. Though ours will probably be a coalition executive, I can be sure that decisionmaking will probably be at an electrifying pace and transparent with regard to Bengaluru.
Bengaluru’s site visitors jams are legendary. How will you clear up these problems?
I do know that site visitors is the foremost downside nagging Bengalureans, I've additionally confronted site visitors snarls and understand how an bizarre motorist feels when stuck in a site visitors jam. But the truth is that we have got not noted this issue and allowed Bengaluru to develop exponentially in a haphazard way. We can't demolish structures to make roads. What we now require are smart solutions, we can must get a hold of new building-related tips, parking linked insurance policies and recall to mind constructing increased roads on drains.
Corruption is a huge issue in Bengaluru. There is a comfortable relationship between builders and politicians. In reality, BJP is alleging that a builder-minister mafia has taken over Bengaluru…
No cartel or lobby will probably be allowed to take over anything else. In reality, the institution of Lokayukta was once strengthened during my earlier tenure and we all know what took place to it later. I can keep the entirety transparent, anyone can way me at once in the event that they find something goes horribly incorrect in the system. As for BJP’s allegations, they are certain to get a hold of unfounded theories towards our executive in future.
Casteism has crept into the administration. Will your administration be other?
I've been gazing over the previous couple of years that the administration has been vitiated via caste-related politics. I can start reviewing the performance of different departments and take a choice on a bureaucratic reshuffle in a month’s time. We will give importance to performance whilst opting for officials.
Will you appoint special advisers to steer you in particular areas of administration?
I can need advisers who are progressive in their pondering and do not grow to be a pain point in administration. We are not looking for advisers who will carry a foul title to the federal government. Advisers and unbiased consultants will probably be liked in the fields of education and well being. We would require individuals who can guide us on making heathcare easily obtainable to the folk and people who can get a hold of strategies that make faculty fees inexpensive to the common guy. We are not looking for folks to get trapped in debt as a result of emerging medical and education costs.
Cauvery might be your greatest challenge as CM given that your base may be in the Cauvery basin. There are huge expectancies of you in that region. How will you balance this subtle act of being a CM who has to follow SC orders, as you are from that house? Ditto with Mahadayi river dispute with Goa.
I've at all times believed that these problems should be taken care of out through persuasion and negotiation with leaders from the neighbouring states. We can't combat it depending at the legislation as emotions of the individuals are concerned. I can start talking to leaders from the neighbouring states and make all efforts to settle problems amicably.
But BJP leaders are of the strong view that the JD(S)-Congress combo will fall apart quickly as a result of infighting and incompatibility…
The BJP, obviously, will want us to fail. I had mentioned earlier that I can be the one that will stall Narendra Modi-Amit Shah’s a hit march and I've executed it. Not simply BJP, numerous individuals are suspicious about our balance. Well, I do know that operating the coalition isn't a very simple activity and there are boundaries, but I'm assured that we can be triumphant. We will triumph over the initial teething problems temporarily and work as a family. Moreover, I've learnt from the errors of the previous, I can not waste time digging into the previous and will ship a stable executive.
BJP leaders claim that you're going to be a victim of coalition compulsions and that you've already faltered in handing over your main promise of waiving farm loans inside of 24 hours of coming to energy. A BJP chief has even referred to as you a ‘lottery CM’.
I had promised mortgage waiver if our celebration comes to energy with a full majority, but we haven’t. I might have signed at the mortgage waiver report instantly had we come to energy on our personal. The media has been claiming that I've executed a volte-face on farm mortgage waiver, that is wrong. My dedication to the farming neighborhood stands and I'm only in the hunt for extra time as I've to take our coalition spouse into confidence. We request the farming neighborhood leaders and farmers to have some persistence. I can not return on my phrase.
Congratulations, Mr Kumaraswamy. What are your priorities as CM?
My most sensible precedence is addressing problems relating the farming sector. I can work towards making sure that farmers don't face any crisis and live as much as the arrogance they've reposed in me. Next on my checklist is infrastructure construction, particularly Bengaluru. We need to expedite work instead of dragging it mentioning trivial problems. We will focal point on employment generation, girls empowerment, well being and education.
Your oath-taking ceremony was once effectively marketed as the beginning of a new chapter in nationwide politics…
Of course it is. It is special as over 20 nationwide leaders, together with chief ministers and ministers, attended it. Can you tell me one such ceremony attended via such a lot of leaders from other parties and states? This is for the primary time in history that this sort of factor has took place and it indicators the beginning of a new chapter in the nation.
There’s already criticism about your father micro-managing some administrative tasks. The bureaucratic chiefs are mentioned to have held a gathering with him even prior to you turned into the CM and it is being described as backseat using. How do you envisage your father’s position?
My father is the senior-most politician and his enjoy will surely be utilized. But I wish to make it transparent to all that he'll not micro-manage the administration. I'm the CM and I can dangle the reins. With regard to my father’s assembly with the manager secretary and police chiefs, it was once a courtesy name via the latter. My father’s advice will probably be liked; I reiterate that he'll not intrude. I've lived with the folk and I too know their pulse, I'm the folk’s CM.
Will you proceed with most of Siddaramaiah’s welfare schemes together with the bhagyas, particularly Anna Bhagya and Indira Canteen?
We won't discontinue any of the programmes started via the Siddaramaiah executive. We will improvise at the identical and start new programmes.
How will you maintain problems concerning responsiveness and cooperation from the BJP-led Centre? The Congress executive cited this as a major hurdle.
Fighting it out at the hustings is other and coping with the Centre is other. I can not go for a disagreement with the Centre. We will convince them about our necessities and persuade them to act favourably. Karnataka is the second easiest earnings producing state in the nation and we are hoping the BJPled executive appreciates the state’s contribution and takes decisions accordingly. The Centre should not display step-motherly treatment to Karnataka because they aren't in energy here and should not politicise the entirety.
Your celebration has the picture of not being too serious about Bengaluru.
I believe you that Bengaluru’s image and brand-building has taken successful. But I wish to assure all that Bengaluru’s growth and construction will probably be most sensible on my schedule. Does anyone take into accout when was once the closing time the head of a foreign nation first landed in Bengaluru? That is the state of affairs we have reached. We need to revive Bengaluru’s glory and I can work on it.
Do you have a roadmap for it?
Of course, yes. I can not take pleasure in empty rhetoric. I perceive the importance of Bengaluru at the global map. There are many foreign consulates in Bengaluru, we can coordinate with them actively and ensure influx of extra investments and will also source experience with regard to city construction. I can take the consuls general into confidence at the side of others and focus on bringing back Bengaluru’s glory. This is simply one of the vital strategies. Though ours will probably be a coalition executive, I can be sure that decisionmaking will probably be at an electrifying pace and transparent with regard to Bengaluru.
Bengaluru’s site visitors jams are legendary. How will you clear up these problems?
I do know that site visitors is the foremost downside nagging Bengalureans, I've additionally confronted site visitors snarls and understand how an bizarre motorist feels when stuck in a site visitors jam. But the truth is that we have got not noted this issue and allowed Bengaluru to develop exponentially in a haphazard way. We can't demolish structures to make roads. What we now require are smart solutions, we can must get a hold of new building-related tips, parking linked insurance policies and recall to mind constructing increased roads on drains.
Corruption is a huge issue in Bengaluru. There is a comfortable relationship between builders and politicians. In reality, BJP is alleging that a builder-minister mafia has taken over Bengaluru…
No cartel or lobby will probably be allowed to take over anything else. In reality, the institution of Lokayukta was once strengthened during my earlier tenure and we all know what took place to it later. I can keep the entirety transparent, anyone can way me at once in the event that they find something goes horribly incorrect in the system. As for BJP’s allegations, they are certain to get a hold of unfounded theories towards our executive in future.
Casteism has crept into the administration. Will your administration be other?
I've been gazing over the previous couple of years that the administration has been vitiated via caste-related politics. I can start reviewing the performance of different departments and take a choice on a bureaucratic reshuffle in a month’s time. We will give importance to performance whilst opting for officials.
Will you appoint special advisers to steer you in particular areas of administration?
I can need advisers who are progressive in their pondering and do not grow to be a pain point in administration. We are not looking for advisers who will carry a foul title to the federal government. Advisers and unbiased consultants will probably be liked in the fields of education and well being. We would require individuals who can guide us on making heathcare easily obtainable to the folk and people who can get a hold of strategies that make faculty fees inexpensive to the common guy. We are not looking for folks to get trapped in debt as a result of emerging medical and education costs.
Cauvery might be your greatest challenge as CM given that your base may be in the Cauvery basin. There are huge expectancies of you in that region. How will you balance this subtle act of being a CM who has to follow SC orders, as you are from that house? Ditto with Mahadayi river dispute with Goa.
I've at all times believed that these problems should be taken care of out through persuasion and negotiation with leaders from the neighbouring states. We can't combat it depending at the legislation as emotions of the individuals are concerned. I can start talking to leaders from the neighbouring states and make all efforts to settle problems amicably.
But BJP leaders are of the strong view that the JD(S)-Congress combo will fall apart quickly as a result of infighting and incompatibility…
The BJP, obviously, will want us to fail. I had mentioned earlier that I can be the one that will stall Narendra Modi-Amit Shah’s a hit march and I've executed it. Not simply BJP, numerous individuals are suspicious about our balance. Well, I do know that operating the coalition isn't a very simple activity and there are boundaries, but I'm assured that we can be triumphant. We will triumph over the initial teething problems temporarily and work as a family. Moreover, I've learnt from the errors of the previous, I can not waste time digging into the previous and will ship a stable executive.
BJP leaders claim that you're going to be a victim of coalition compulsions and that you've already faltered in handing over your main promise of waiving farm loans inside of 24 hours of coming to energy. A BJP chief has even referred to as you a ‘lottery CM’.
I had promised mortgage waiver if our celebration comes to energy with a full majority, but we haven’t. I might have signed at the mortgage waiver report instantly had we come to energy on our personal. The media has been claiming that I've executed a volte-face on farm mortgage waiver, that is wrong. My dedication to the farming neighborhood stands and I'm only in the hunt for extra time as I've to take our coalition spouse into confidence. We request the farming neighborhood leaders and farmers to have some persistence. I can not return on my phrase.
I am my own CM. My father won’t do any backseat driving, says HD Kumaraswamy
![I am my own CM. My father won’t do any backseat driving, says HD Kumaraswamy]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
May 24, 2018
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