Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
There is a wide gap between Governance and Good Governance....between Government and efficient-effective Government. Only such of those elected Executive Heads (Prime Minister at the center and Chief Minister in the State) who are capable of providing Effective and Responsive Administration coupled with a unique style of their own are remembered for a long time. The present day youth who taste the evils of inefficient governance have every reason to look in to the past to know at least few details of persons like Late Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy in administering the state. Kotla was known as an able administrator providing Good Governance as Chief Minister of the state twice besides discharging responsibilities as Union Minister holding key portfolios several times. He also held key positions in All India Congress Committee. Probably no other person from AP held as many positions as Kotla. It was his trustworthiness, credibility, simplicity, commitment and straight forward attitude that helped him to occupy all those positions. In his dictionary there was no such word like Favoritism. He never compromised on moral values. In his long and uninterrupted six decades of political career, Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy seldom looked back on any issue that he believed as right. The political career of Kotla that began during Jawaharlal's time continued under Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi's leadership too, irrespective of the fact that whether he held a position or not.
Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy entered in to active politics and was elected from Yemmiganur Assembly Constituency in 1955. He became Kurnool ZP Chairman first in 1959 and second time in 1964. Those days some of the ZP Chairmen were able to wield more power than cabinet ministers because of their towering personalities. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy was one among them. A wise Chief Minister rarely refused the advice of powerful ZP Chairmen on any issue including cabinet formation. In 1967 Kotla became a Cabinet Minister in Kasu Brahmananda Reddy ministry and held Finance Portfolio till 1971. He was elected as Lok Sabha Member from Kurnool six times beginning with 1977 and was a Cabinet Minister in Indira, Rajiv and PV Narasimha Rao Ministries holding key portfolios. Kotla had the unique distinction of becoming an elected Member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) – the highest policy making body of party twice, once at the Tirupati Session in 1992 and later in 1997 at Calcutta. Kotla also served as Chairman of AICC Disciplinary Committee.
Among the old-timers Kotla was unique. All through his political and personal career, he conducted himself with discipline, dedication, vision and self-confidence to leave an indelible mark. He was also known to be soft-spoken, cultured and probably only one political leader from faction led Rayalaseema Area without enemies. He was a Natural Leader. The Illustrated Weekly of India, once Nation's top most English weekly, in its survey of Union Cabinet Ministers performance in 1992, mentioned that Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy was not only the most efficient and honest minister among all but also very quick in disposal of official business.
Kotla whatever position he held brought name and fame to that position itself. Irrespective of friend or foe, when found guilty and came to his notice, however powerful they might be, he never hesitated to order an enquiry to elicit truth. In the process he received bouquets and brickbats. Until he became Chief Minister Kotla was always the “Number Two” at the center as well as at the state level, which place, by virtue of his efficiency commenced during Kasu Brahmananda Reddy's regime. Irrespective of what portfolio that he held, Kotla always studied well entire details pertaining to the department before starting his work. According to personal staff who worked with him, Kotla always held in high esteem and respected honest and efficient government officers and encouraged them. Present Chief Secretary SV Prasad worked as Secretary to CM while Kotla was Chief Minister. When someone brought to his notice about Prasad's earlier posting as NTR Secretary during TDP regime, Kotla responded by saying that he knew him as an efficient officer while he was Collector Cuddapah District. Similar was his response about his Press Secretary Chandra Sekhara Reddy when someone mentioned that he was close to late Rajasekhara Reddy. For him as long as the person is good and efficient, it matters little with whomever he worked earlier. Kotla never hesitated to manage any type of crisis that he faced. For instance when an MLA (later to become Minister) was kidnapped by extremists the way he handled the situation to get him released was appreciated by many.
Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy basically was a great humanist. While he was CM, when the vehicle in his convoy with journalists met with an accident, Kotla got down from his vehicle to help personally the injured reporters. A former Municipal Vice-Chairman of Kurnool and known to Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy telephoned him to inform of his critical health condition. Kotla who was Chief Minister then asked him to immediately reach NIMS where he himself was present to receive him and admit him for treatment. These were few examples of his human approach.
It was Kotla who first introduced slab system in electricity for agriculture sector that helped farmers. He as CM issued orders recognizing Muslims and Kapus as backward class. 30% reservation for women in educational institutions and jobs was his decision. Indira Gandhi introduced 20 point economic program in several states only after it came to her notice that a similar one was already implemented by Kotla in AP. While Chairman Kurnool ZP, Kotla was instrumental in opening many new schools and a composite drinking water scheme which was supposed to be one of two such projects in the country. As CM it was he, who introduced several schemes and programmes including the Rs.1.90 a kilo rice scheme and supply of electricity to farmers at Rs.50 per HP. When an anti-arrack agitation was sweeping the State, he responded in his own style by announcing prohibition on sale and consumption of arrack from October 1, 1993 all over the State.
Emulating some of his benchmark best practices in Governance by the present day Politicians and Ministers is what probably the suitable tribute to Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, who passed away on 27th September ten years ago. He is remembered for ever and ever.
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