Dr. M. Channa Reddy, Born on January 13, 1919 at Mangalarm Village in Vikarabad Taluk near Hyderabad was the only son of Shri Lakshma Reddy and Shrimathi Shankaramma Reddy. Married to Shrimathi Savitri Devi (daughter of Shri K. Narayana Reddy and Shrimathi Rajamma Reddy) on May 3rd 1936, Doctor Reddy is blessed with two sons Shri M. Ravinder Reddy and Shri M. Shashidhar Reddy, and a daughter, Shrimathi K. Vasudha Reddy. Dr. Reddy’s ancestral home is in Sripur village also near Hyderabad, and traditional profession is farming.
He pursued his early educational career away from his parents under the caring and watchful eyes of his two maternal uncles Shri K.V. Ranga Reddy and Shri K.V. Narayana Reddy.
A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING:
Dr. Reddy displayed a rare passion for public life right from the tender age of nine years. He had secretly harbored the ambition of becoming a medical doctor. He wanted to take up an independent profession, which could enable him to pursue his public life unhindered.
While studying at school Dr. Reddy developed qualities of leadership. He organized a debating society in his locality and started reflecting on national, social and political issues along with his friends and contemporaries. As a young student he also established a library, which had a rare collection of books on Indian religion and mythology. During his student days he studied the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads and the Puranas and became a great adherent to the noble ideals set by them.
Dr. Reddy earned the degree of MBBS from Osmania Medical College in 1941 and joined the State Medical services. Within a couple of months, he gave up the Government job and established two dispensaries in the city of Hyderabad. His dispensaries became people’s dispensaries as he provided medical assistance to the needy free of cost.
A BORN FIGHTER:
Dr. Reddy is a true product of old Hyderabadi culture and tradition which means brotherhood among all communities, love and affection among all castes and maintaining greater affinity in social, cultural and political matters. He lent his full support to promotion of Urdu language and by treating Hindi and Urdu at par he eliminated the chances of linguistic antagonism in his home State
As a believer in communal harmony and cordial relations between various communities, Dr. Reddy openly invited the Muslim brethren to fall in line with the rest of people on the issue of separate Telangana State.
For the first time, in the history of Andhra Pradesh, Muslims were given adequate representation in the Government headed by Dr. M. Channa Reddy. Besides taking three Muslims in the State Cabinet, he appointed another Muslim as the Chairman of the Rayalaseema Planning and development Committee. In addition to that a Muslim legislator was appointed Chief Whip of the State Assembly. During his tenure, Muslim representation in Government agencies increased main-fold.
FRIEND OF MINORITIES:
Dr. Reddy is a true product of old Hyderabadi culture and tradition which means brotherhood among all communities, love and affection among all castes and maintaining greater affinity in social, cultural and political matters. He lent his full support to promotion of Urdu language and by treating Hindi and Urdu at par he eliminated the chances of linguistic antagonism in his home State
As a believer in communal harmony and cordial relations between various communities, Dr. Reddy openly invited the Muslim brethren to fall in line with the rest of people on the issue of separate Telangana State.
For the first time, in the history of Andhra Pradesh, Muslims were given adequate representation in the Government headed by Dr. M. Channa Reddy. Besides taking three Muslims in the State Cabinet, he appointed another Muslim as the Chairman of the Rayalaseema Planning and development Committee. In addition to that a Muslim legislator was appointed Chief Whip of the State Assembly. During his tenure, Muslim representation in Government agencies increased main-fold.
FLAIR FOR EXCELLENCE:
Dr. Channa Reddy ‘s dynamism imagination, quick thinking, speed in implementing programs, his intolerance for bureaucratic delay and, above all, his humanism stand out clearly in his administration. His flair for excellence and indomitable spirit to accomplish the maximum in the shortest possible time makes him a great HARD TASK-MASTER, which, at times, is resented by bureaucrats and officials.
Dr. Reddy does not spare even himself. He studies every issue from all angles, analyses it, puts it to test and then comes to a firm conclusion. He has a penchant for “home-work” and is always well equipped with the required information and knowledge about the matter concerned.
He knows the art of keeping people creatively busy. An economist might be requested to send a note on the planning strategy, a ecologist to give his plan for the exploration of base metals in India a ground water expert on how to supplement the water resources, a financial expert on how to restructure the pricing system of steel and so on. Whatever is of practical value and useful to the nation is relevant to him.
Knowledge, not for the sake of knowledge but knowledge for the sake of action is what appeals to Dr. Reddy.
On the pattern of French CABINET DE MINISTRE, consisting of outstanding experts in different fields to advise the minister on policy matters, he has evolved his style of functioning on the lines of having a thick-tank. He has tremendous capability to “clear the mess” and get every situation tackled efficiently .He demonstrated it with success in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab as Governor and in Andhra Pradesh twice as Chief Minister.