Towards this, he marshalled both his creative and technical faculties. He not only became an engineer, a la Sir M V but also wrote a poem expressing his impatience about the wait! But destiny dealt him a different hand when he cleared the IAS exam in 1980 and found himself in state administration.
Veerappa Parameshwarappa Baligar, an IIT Mumbai graduate -- same batch as Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani -- is today a powerful bureaucrat who is principal secretary to chief minister B S Yeddyurappa. Obviously, there are no regrets. "I could not build the dam, but now I am guarding one: the system in the bureaucracy. So eager was I to become an engineer and construct a dam that in 1979 I wrote a poem Kannambadi Kaayutiddene (guarding Kannambadi)," laughs the man who is forever on his cell phone. To those new to the fabled KRS story, Kannambadi is a village in Mysore where the KRS dam is located.
His aesthetically designed house `Shampavi' (the name has been derived from his village Shigli, where P stands for his father's name, S his mother Shankaramma and the V are the family members) in BTM layout, Bangalore, is the only thing that he's ended up building in concrete. A house that barely sees him in daylight. He walks into his home late at night, leaves in the morning with the wake-up call coming from his boss: the CM. His presence in the house is so minimal that his wife, Vinaya Prabha, says good-humouredly: "It's easier to see him on TV.''
He is the son of a progressive farmer in Shigli, Gadag district, who ensured that all his children, eight boys and three girls, got the best of education. Baligar's older brother Manu, a KAS officer, is today director, Kannada and culture. Says Baligar fondly of his father: "He had engaged an yoga, wrestling and Malkan coach for us. He set high benchmarks -- if you are a sportsperson, qualify for Olympics and if a politician, nothing less than the prime minister's post will do. This resulted in all of us topping in school, so much so, when former DyCM M P Prakash used to visit our school as chief guest, he would say in a lighter vein: "Only Baligar's children walk away with the medals.'' A Congressman, Baligar Sr when offered a ticket declined, saying if he were to become a politician, he would end up neglecting his children!
Baligar today staunchly believes that it is possible to stay straight and narrow in an environment where people accept and even expect politicians and bureaucrats to be venal. Says he: "As Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation chairman, I used to administer an oath of integrity to officers. I continue to do so for officers who walk into my chamber now. One can still remain honest, deliver goods and make a difference to the present system.''
A stable, supportive family helps. His wife, a psycho-therapist and Hindustani singer, is the daughter of former state director-general of police, Veerabhadraiah. Their match was fixed when he was still at IIT. His son Vikas, 25, who works for Yahoo, is keen on following in his father's footsteps and preparing to take the civil services exam. Daughter Vishalakshmi, 21, works for IBM. `Snowy', a cross-breed pomeranian, completes the family snapshot.
"I feel rich today as both my children are earning and the Sixth Pay Commission has given a huge salary increase to government servants. Earlier, it was difficult to maintain the family on a single salary. Today, my son earns more than me. My future is safe and I don't bother to save,'' says a relaxed Baligar, admitting in the same breath this is the most hectic phase in his career.
His wife believes his stint at KPTC was even worse, as it was a 24/7 job with distress calls ringing at wee hours of the night. Baligar admits to not having got "any bad postings''.
"Even the tenure at Karnataka Land Army as its head -- which meant a 10 am to 5.30 pm job -- was put to good use to learn Sudarshan Kriya.''
Ask him whether his hectic schedule makes him miss the things he wants to do and he shoots back: "Miss? I don't have time to even think that I am missing something!" He relaxes by reading and occasionally catching a movie (on DVD). He's read Nilekani's `Imaging India'. Says he, "My wife is a voracious reader and usually I ask her to give me the synopsis. The last movie we watched was `Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic'. The only time we took a vacation was on our silver wedding anniversary to Maldives. Every year my leave and LTA lapses.''
A self-confessed atheist and rationalist to his wife's religious bent, he says: "I tease her that for me work is worship and for her worship is work.''
An admirer of H Narasimhaiah, a rationalist, he considers former colleague Chiranjiv Singh "my guru''. "He is gentle, while I am aggressive in my behaviour. I am prone to suspend or dismiss a person who has erred, but Singh will try to reform him.''
His dam building dreams might have gone bust, but poetry lives. Most have been odes to administrative matters and to his wife like `Mounada Modi' (magic of silence). In his current job, he isn't getting much of mouna but Baligar isn't complaining.
The job he enjoyed the most
Most satisfying was definitely as deputy commissioner, Mysore district. I appointed a Dalit as temple priest and reversed the varna system so that the higher caste person had to sweep and one from the lower caste cook and bring flowers to the deity. On the first day when the Dalit took charge as priest, police had to be stationed outside the premises.
In the same posting, I helped tribals who were being harassed by rich landlords to get land. Despite police protection, the landlords were resisting. When the tribals approached me, I told them the police cannot give you protection round-the-clock. You have your billu-banas (bows and arrows), use them. When the landlords came next they were chased away by the tribals with their billu-banas.
Most embarrassing episode
When I was industries commissioner, at a meeting in Tumkur, an industrialist got up and said my assistant director had taken bribe of Rs 2,000. I immediately apologized and gave Rs 2,000 from my wallet, saying I will recover it from my junior. Later, the officer admitted to taking the amount and promised to turn over a new leaf.
Admire:
H Narasimahaiah, a rationalist
Chiranjiv Singh, retd IAS officer
De-stress:
Writing poems
Current read:
Aravind Adiga's Between the Assassinations
Favourite food:
North Karnataka
Favourite music:
Vachanas. His wife has brought out a CD titled Vachanamrit.