Monday, June 11, 2012

Teekhi Baat with Akhilesh Yadav/June 09, 2012 on IBN7

Teekhi Baat Interview with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on IBN7. Samajwadi Party scion Yadav is the youngest chief minister in charge of the largest state in the country.




PC: You are the youngest chief minister

AY: Yes

PC: It has been 7—75 days, what have you learnt

AY: Many days have passed

PC: In 75 days you would have become of 75 years due to thinking

AY: No, age has not increased, but every day I am getting experience.

PC: Because when one comes to power, his (weight) increases and gets grey hair

AY: No, time has passed, but with time, am getting experience.

PC: This government is yours now

AY: The government is of Samajwadi party

PC: Akhilesh Yadav is its chief minister

AY: The decision of the party, after the decision of the Vidhayak dal, I have become chief minister

PC: Now the impression is that the government is of Mulayam Singh Yadav, but its chief minister is Akhilesh Yadav.

AY: it is a good thing if people are considering it has Netaji’s government. It is a good thing. Because if they are taking it to be Netaji’s government, then the farmers would be benefitted, poor would benefit,

PC: Who is running it- Netaji or Akhilesh

AY: We are running, there is a whole council of ministers to run the government.

PC: There is a council of ministers, is it of Akhilesh or Netaji

AY: In the government the council of ministers is of the chief minister.

PC: People say uncle is minister

AY: This is a good thing, that uncle is there with me, people with whom I am from the time I was a kid, I have looked up to them with respect and continuously worked with them. And today they are with us is good, they are giving their advice and guidance. They sometimes tell us how to do a thing this way or that way. Then what is wrong in this.

PC: If ‘ chehra and chaal’ is the same, then what is the ‘parivartan’

AY: You would have seen the budget, we have added new things which were there in the party’s manifesto.

PC: I will talk about the budget, but talking about politics, Akhilesh Yadav is a fresh face, many times the image is that Mulayam Singh has been in the state, centre, he has a good image, because of which you have won, but the question is, that many times when the new generation comes in, then there is ‘naya chehra and nayee chaal’ which should be seen. What is that you were made because of compulsion

AY: Our MLA’s won in huge numbers, it is true that there is time now, and when expansion will happen some new people too would get a chance.

PC: During expansion

AY: They will get a chance. And even now there are people who have become ministers for the first time, and the work that is happening in the Vidhan Sabha, they are participating in it. Many times they are asking questions to the government.

PC: Do you have vacancies now

AY: Now there is possibility, lot of possibility, and people can and will become ministers.

PC: Now are you studying their performance in the assembly, on that basis you will take a decision

AY: It is natural, because the session is for the first time, and they have come before the Vidhan Sabha for the first time, we will see their experience and their style of working, and the party will give them chance.

PC: But the question is pertaining to your supporters, who expect new faces to come say that this is a bad government of a chief minister with a good image.

AY: No, nobody would agree to this, it has been too little time, the people have given a time of five years. Within five years, and you will see, as the government runs, new things would come, and according to time.

PC: People who are tainted, who have criminal cases on them, are charged for murder, what was the need of keeping such people

AY: And of some people are there, the party has full control, there is no untoward incident, and there are people in this government who have been trapped in fake cases by the Mayawati government.

PC: Raja Bhaiiya

AY: The maximum cases that have been registered against Raja Bhaiiya have been done by the former government.

PC: His father too was put in jail

AY: His father was put behind bars, his lands were snatched away, his business was shut down, amd was sent to jail by framing him in false cases.

PC: Let me do a Teekhi Baat with you

AY: Why not you should

PC: You gave me to interviews, in both of them you said that the chief minister would be Netaji and not you, then what was the game played by you are Netaji that you were made

AY: Please see, the decision of the party

PC: You had told me

AY: Even today I accept, that I know that I had said, that I will not become the chief minister.

PC: You had also said that Netaji will become

AY: I had said that Netaji would become. And many times I said that only Netaji would become. After Netaji and party decided, then I was given a chance by the party

PC: In this country there have been two such instances, and two you people become chief ministers in the same way, one day before the election Farooq Abdullah said on television, that I will become the chief minister, don’t know what transpired during the night that Omar Abdullah became chief minister in the morning. Even at your place, two days ago Netaji was to become, you became. Was this a family issue or party conspiracy or did people say that the win happened because you hence you should be made

AY: See, there is no conspiracy, and we had full support, the party got majority, and after getting majority, the decision of the party and the MLA’s, after that I became chief minister.

PC: Vote was for transformation, because people said that we voted in the name of Akhilesh Yadav. The kind of yatra’s that you took out, cycle yatra, new face over all television channels, newspapers, said Akhilesh Yadav, and Akhilesh Yadav said that he would not become,

AY: If the party gives responsibility, then one had to fulfil it.

PC: But then it should be said from the start, that we will make him chief minister

AY: No, when the party manifesto was made, the decision as taken, the party fought elections on Netaji;s name, even now, people remember the works done by Netaji. Hence, the government has come to power because of Netaji.

PC: But the kind of Mayawati govenrment that was there last time, people were saying that we will keep this government out of power, let anybody else come. When they saw a new and honest face of yours, they made you

AY: I agree that the people wanted to previous government to go out power, and people got an opportunity to elect a good government. We kept the thins said by Netaji in the manifesto. And when we went among people which were stated in the manifesto, the people supported us.

PC: You won by record margin, in the history hardly ever any regional party won such a large number of seats. Like when Mayawati won 206 seats, it seemed like magic has happened. You got even more seats, even you would not have predicted that you would win so many seats. You told me that you will get majority

AY: I had presumed that the party would get majority, but we had presumed that the party would get 207 seats and above. And when the results came, it was a good one,

PC: We all journalists thought that you would get 180 seats, you would be dependent on the Congress. The government would not be formed without the Congress. We all journalists were saying this

AY: In the run up to the elections, I said that party would get more than 207 seats, and we won 224.

PC: You became chief minister, I had seen that in the past 70 days, you presented a budget, regarding which I will discuss with you later, but your magic is running, as the Congress and BJP did not field a candidate against your wife, either you have scared them or they love you so much.

AY: This is the decision of those respective parties. Congress took the decision earlier. Now, even the Bahujan Samaj Party has not fielded a candidate.

PC: They say it is law and order issue, you are engaging in goondaism

AY: One should fight elections, take the issues in front of the people.

PC: The Congress that made Dimpleji lose, they are having so much love now for you now and why are they not fielding a candidate now

AY: It is a good thing that Congress did not field its candidate.

PC: Has there been any compromise

AY: There has been no compromise

PC: But you are saying it is a good thing

AY: It is a good thing,

PC: What about BJP

AY: I think that the tenure of the elected representative was less 12-13 months, that is why they did not field any candidates.

PC: What was the need for you to filed somebody

AY: That we have too, somebody has to be fielded. The people of the constituency accepted and said that they will not accept unless somebody from the family contests.

PC: You said the issue of parivaarvaad, but the question is in a lohiate government, lohiavaad is turning into parivaarvaad.

AY: There is nothing above the decision of the people .

PC: Public’s decision is allright, you had fielded her, if you had fielded somebody else, he too may have won, because the way in which a popular wave is in favour of you these days. The honeymoon period of the party that is on now, in this if any other candidate would have contested, wouldn’t he too have won

AY: But the public demanded, the came walking to us

PC: Who public

AY: The karyakartas and netas walked over and told us, from Kannauj and they demanded, that somebody from the family must contest, your wife must contest in these elections

PC: It means the demand has come from below

AY: You please believe this that the people of Kannauj came and put forward this demand, that is why I will say thank you to the people of Kannauj who accepted and gave such a big public approval to the party and its candidate.

PC: Educated and you people like you have come into politics in the country, don’t you feel that the support of the people can be with your family, don’t you think moving away from parivaarvaad, one should go be meritocracy, there can been many more eligible people, whom you may want to reward, what are you in this issue, be it you, Rahul Gandhi, Omar Abdullah, Stalin, all the young generation people coming, they are making their family go ahead,

AY: Now one cannot go against the feelings of the karyakarta. People of Kannauj

PC: In addition to family, building leadership and institution

AY: Our party makes efforts to see that new leadership comes up. Hence, you would have seen that the MLA’s that have won, they are of young age, have won for the first time, from whose family nobody has ever won, nobody was in politics, we gave chance to them this time.

PC: Which means you are doing the same type of politics that the Congress party is doing. Even there the parivaarvaad runs,

AY: If the karyakartas are accepting, if the people of the constitutency accept, then we will have to take the decision that the people want.

PC: You mean to say that dynasty through democracy can be imposed

AY: I am not in its favour, but if the people accept, and the karyakartas accept, if karyakartas say that if this is the candidate, the election can be won. Then it is natural that he party will take the same decision.

PC: Many times you see the kind of sycophancy that goes on in political parties these days, but educated people like you moving away from sycophancy, can take decision on merit sometimes,

AY: Why not, we will take decisions, other places I said, in the other vidhan sabha, other elections the people who would come in the coming times, the decision will be on the fact that the karyakarta and the neta, he will be made to contest elections.

PC: You may not match any of the Congress but in this ideology all the regional parties are together, that we must take ahead only the members who are from our family, even if a honest leader like you comes forward,

AY: No, but when the public demands, and the karyakartas come and demand, then you will have to listen

PC: Karyakartas took only one name

AY: Karyakartas did not take any second name

PC: Then you said ok lets listen to the karkartas

AY: And I said when we could not win the last election, this time I got the excuse, this time lets win the election from Kannauj.

PC: Please tell one thing, what relation do you have with the Congress these days. What kind of political relations, of love, of hate, no hate, khatti-meethi is possible,

AY: We have got good relations with the Congress and there are differences over some issues.

PC: But differences are not so much for you to fight with them

AY: But the political issues that we put forth, if the Congress doesn’t accept then we have differences on those issues.

PC: But like it is seen that, for AIIMS, you gave land immediately in Soniaji;s constituency of Rae Bareli. This goodwill gesture on your party that is going on

AY: This we did because, Samajwadi Party too this decision because then nobody can level allegations against us that we are anti development. If they are ready to establish AIIMS in Uttar Pradesh, then we are ready to allot land. In the same lines there was an issue that they wanted land to build an aviation academy or university, we accepted that too as if they are wanting to bring that, then we are ready to give land.

PC: In Rae Bareli, during Rajiv Gandhi’s time we had done story, that so much money had come there, but there was no development, all the candidates lost there. Hence, don’t you think that you did a symbolic gesture, that we are with Soniaji, we will let them do development too

AY: Not symbolic, but if they want to build AIIMS,

PC: The Central government wants to make

AY: Yes, the central government wants to make here, and this allegation is made by the central government, that land for AIIMS is not being made available,

PC: AIIMS will go to Rae Bareli, there are many backward regions

AY: We have demanded from them, that because Uttar Pradesh is a big state, it is big by the amount of population, hence one AIIMS will not suffice, even if they want to give two-three, the Samajwadi government will allot land for the same

PC: If they want to give or is it your demand

AY: We have demanded from them,

PC: There should be two three AIIMS

AY: Yes, they should be in UP.

PC: You did not make a demand for IITs

AY: We will demand IITs too. And we have put forth this issue too that the money that the Uttar Pradesh government should get, under all schemes, which the centres responsibility to give, now the central government has not given, now presume that we have to set up power plants, work for it, if we do not get coal linkage, we will never be able to set up plants. Now, the central government would have to help somewhere.

PC: Coal linkage is different and financial help is different, the question is that every state government says these days, that give money to us, they don’t want to raise resources on their own, raise or impose any new taxes. What is the reason that all state governments are saying, give us a special package, but we will not impose new taxes in our state. You said that the central government does not give you money, the question is that you presented a budget of 2 lakh crore, hence you would have made many schemes, some would be of dream, some in reality, but there is no money as you have imposed no new taxes.

AY: Please see, the money that is demanded from the central government, we have not asked for package. What they should give in all schemes and programs. Only that money we have asked saying that it is Uttar Pradesh’s right. Like, money comes for health, then the government should give it in full, If money is due to come to some area, it should be given in full, we are only asking money which the central government has to give. In the same way the budget that we have come with, it is true that it is a big budget, over 2 lakh crores, and it is because we have fixed a target of more. This time, without levying more taxes, we will do more recovery.

PC: You will do recovery, earlier recovery outstanding is not happening

AY: The earlier government did not do it.

PC: You did not show much income in this

AY: The earlier government did not do it. But if we run the same departments in the right manner, then a lot of arrangements can be made.

PC: How will it happen, because after reading your budget, doesn’t seem from where you would get so much of income

AY: Uttar Pradesh is capable, will get, there is income, because there is a target

PC: From where will the income come, from liquor,

AY: It is there from liquor, registration,

PC: You have no money to give sugarcane farmers. From where will Rs. 5000 crore come.

AY: The compensation of sugar cane has started, private have started giving and government mills will also pay.

PC: What is the deficit income today, you did not show in the budget

AY: We cannot go outside our compulsions,

PC: So much difference, one thing is very interesting in your budget, after reading one feels, you did magic, what is your income and the expenses you have shown

AY: There is income, why not, 60,000 crores is the income of the government

PC: 60,000 crore but 1.40 lakh crore..

AY: Other income comes from other programmes, loan

PC: Will come from central sponsored schemes

AY: Yes,

PC: That is after budget

AY: Yes, but we have income of 60,000 crore

PC: Rs. 60000 crore income but from where would you get money to spend Rs. 2.04 lakh crore

AY: From other methods, money is coming, which totals to 2.04 lakh crores.

PC: Akhileshji you are not telling the people from where would you get Rs. 1.40 lakh crore. If you levy tax, then rates of power would have to be increased, increase rates of water,

AY: We said that we will not levy tax.

PC: Will you print money then?

AY: What is our budget, it has increased from the last time. And hence we have an estimated budget of 2.04 lakh crore. We are increasing our revenue resources.

PC: You have made efforts to build Taj Mahal, from where will stones, money come for Taj Mahal

AY: You will see that all the schemes started by us, or will start, adequate money for the same has been given in the budget, it has been disbursed, these schemes would be completed.

PC: From where would you spend Rs. 5000 crore on roads. You said Rs. 4,800 crore and linkeages expenditure of Rs. 12-1300 crore. In such a big states, in 6000 crore, 800 km of roads would not be made

AY: Because times have changed, these government roads we will make from government funds. But along with this we are having projects under PPP. Though other schemes, to make it viable we are making VGF roads too. Hence, if on PPP roads can be made, there are 21 projects.

PC: In PPP projects, CAG reports are coming, the kind of loot that is on

AY: Please see, if loot is on. One has to make roads, if some people invest via PPP and road is made, then we will have to encourage it. We are going to encourage it, hence good roads can be made in Uttar Pradesh

PC: Akhileshji you are computer expert, you have studied in Bangalore, but you said regarding free laptops and free tablets. In a state where more than 40 per cent people are illiterate, where power supply is not for more than three hours, where will laptops work there, isn’t this wastage of money. Don’t you think, in the school where there is no teacher, light, no doctor in hospital, medicine, there you take computer, what is this stance

AY: I agree with some issues put forth by you. But when we have started to run the government, you will see we have started to make arrangements of the power plants that can be operated. Today we have taken a decision in the cabinet, the people who want to reform their land, we are giving them opportunity for it. The former government did a MoU with eleven companies, to make plants, but not even one have arrangements for it now. Hence, the people who can set up power plants, two are schemes where power plants can be set up by 2014-15. These are big plants which are being set up, more than 500 mw. Likewise, if anybody invests in the area of power plants, we will encourage them, because in Uttar Pradesh there are line losses, theft, we will have to do work on stopping that. Today 30 per cent, 40 per cent is loss, if there is line loss of 30 per cent, then where would one give electricity. Hence we are making arrangement for electricity, those who can bring changes in distribution, we are doing even that, we are doing the improvements that we can do in transmission, in the farmers section, which we will have to keep them on priority, for wheat, we have done raids, so that farmers get money for their wheat. For Rs. 1285 we have taken action against officers continuously. So many officers would not have been suspended, how many we have done in the Samajwadi party government. This we have done because. Likewise, there is an issue of sugar cane, sugar cane farmers are on priority, wheat, pulses, and potato farmers would have to be helped, then Uttar Pradesh would move ahead. But along with this, if we also give laptops, if we give computer tablet too, then the children staying in villages, the governments used to scare them that children cannot use computers, hence knowingly, we kept this issue in manifesto

PC: What is the budget of this laptop scheme

AY: Around Rs. 3000 crore

PC: Rs. 3000 crore, I want to ask you a straight question, the children who do not have medicines, there are no teachers, if that Rs.3000 crore was spent there. Now the educated would get these things and get their benefit

AY: The computer and laptop that are being given, the rural children too would get it,

PC: What is the need there, of good schools and hospital or laptops

AY: We are making arrangement of schools, we accept that, that arrangement of good schools needs to be done, likewise, arrangement of hospitals and medicines would need to be done and we are doing that. Likewise, the big hospitals which are there presently, their administration has to be improved. And presume if there are diseases like cancer

PC: What is your agenda

AY: Our agenda is clear, farmers, people staying in villages, and people staying in cities should be taken together. We have to give facilities to people staying in villages and improve the condition of cities. Arrangements of both would have to be done together. Samajwadi Party is doing those arrangements.

PC: You said that your agenda is good governance. You transferred 2500 in one month, your agenda was to demolish whatever Mayawati made, every officer should be punished, and your worker, as seen in the newspaper, have come to blows at every places in the recent times.

AY: I cannot accept that Samajwadi karyakarta is disturbing law and order anywhere. Samajwadi party workers are following the law.

PC: There was firing on your MLA recently

AY: No, no, the incidents that have happened, there action is being taken against them. The incident, you are speaking of Moradabad, one MLA’s brother and, wherever the incidents have taken place, we have taken action against the accused. Now there are so many stone sculptures, our party said that they would be used in the right manner. If you see, we opened Parag milk bar there.

PC: So, many trees have been planted, what is wrong in that

AY: We have not removed the trees, we will plant more trees, we have not removed trees, the former government has certainly cut trees, in their memorials, there are no trees,

PC: What will you do, open hospitals

AY: Where the place is being used, we are doing that. Now a place where statues were there, we built a milk bar there. Parag milk bar has been opened there.

PC: If your workers do goondagardi will you put them in jail like Mayawati

AY: I say this and all Samajwadi party karyakartas believe and know that they do not have to break law and if they break law then the government will take action.

PC: Like Mayawati put all her ministers, MP’s,

AY: We will not copy anybody, but anybody who breaks law, let him be of any party, even if he is from our party, action would be taken against him.

PC: You will fight battle against corruption

AY: We are continuously fighting, and will keep on making efforts to eliminate corruption completely.

PC: Then why are you against what Anna and Baba say

AY: I am not against their fight, their issue is correct,

PC :Then what is wrong

AY: If they have affiliation to some particular ideology, hence we are against.

PC: Like their Lokpal bill, will you make parivartan in UP Lokpal bill by including the CM.

AY: Because we had opposed it in the centre too, corruption will not be eradicated if only the Lokpal bill comes. We will have to accept and all work together to get it eradicated.

PC: Took make Lokayukta in your state strong, CM should come under

AY: That our party did not accept, that we cannot accept.

PC: Hence Lokayukta will not come under CM,

AY: How much powerful the Lokayukta has to be made, even more powerful, we can work for it. But brining the chief minister under its jurisdiction, on this the Samajwadi party did not agree earlier, and won’t agree now.

PC: Tell me one thing, coming to the Presidential elections, it seems Netaji has been left at the national level and you are not going to centre and are busy working here. Do you think it should be a minority for the president’s post, do you agree that the president should be chosen in the name of caste and religion.

AY: The position of president if big, and I think, though common agreement, all parties should take decision.

PC: Do you think it should be of minority or political, like netaji said for the first time that it should be a political leader.

AY: I accept what the Samajwadi party has said that a political, and be made with the common agreement of all parties, then I think it would be a good president

PC: Even now you are saying that let it be of Congress or anybody else, it should be common agreement

AY: Yes, should be made with common agreement, all political parties are keeping their own points forth,

PC: All means

AY: All means all political parties

PC: You mean even the ones who are not with you

AY: If they have any opinion it would come forward.

PC: Then you would go with Congress

AY: The party has taken no decision now, at this time the decision has not been taken by the party,

PC: Let me ask you one last question, like Mayawati used to walk with 40-50 commandos, you are not doing that you are not with so much security, don’t you fear, don’t you fear Mayawati.

AY: No, I didn’t fear.

PC: Hence you have left it

AY: No, there should be security, and security should be as much as its needed.

PC: Now you do not stall traffic, that CM is coming but the traffic should not stall

AY: If the traffic stops or not, how much time difference does it make, I think it does not make a lot of time difference.

PC: Is this temporary or will run, like every chief minister starts and stops everything after six months. Like babus near you, saying, no no there is danger, and you would fall for what the babus say, Akhilesh Yadav is now our of the babus clique but tomorrow would be in their trap, will you give guarantee of this

AY: No, no, now this would not happen, and the way I am working I will not surround myself with so much security like me predecessor. What security I have, what is needed, only that much would be there.

PC: That you for coming to our studio

AY: Thank you, Prabhuji

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