Kiran Kumar Reddy addresses civil service probationers in Hyderabad.
Eyebrow-raising advice from Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to civil service probationers in Hyderabad on Tuesday: he told the would-be officers not to worry too much about political corruption because the money flows back into societal systems during elections.
"When there is excess money with the politician, it comes back into the system during elections or some other ways. So don't worry too much about political corruption because all that money will come back into the system and will come to the people. I am not saying encourage political corruption. Honesty should be there. But don't think too much about political corruption, there are other corruption that we must be very careful, which does not come back into the system, business or officers or whoever it could be.''
The remark is a candid comment, many would say. But coming at a time when there is controversy raging about political parties trying to escape falling within the ambit of the RTI, it certainly sends the wrong message to the country and to young officers, to be told that political corruption and the political class is a holy cow.
Jayaprakash Narayan, IAS-officer-turned-politician, says he believes it is an off-the-cuff, but unfortunate remark.
"There is no question that today phenomenal and illegitimate expenditure in politics is fuelling corruption in politics and in bureaucracy. There is also no doubt that there is plenty of bureaucratic corruption independent of political corruption. The political executive has failed to curb the propensity because it is the politician and politician alone who is elected to change the way things are. The bureaucrat is only there to implement what is laid down."