Hon. Mahendra Reddy
Reddy in 2015
Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment
In office
11 December 2017 – 24 December 2022
Appointed byFrank Bainimarama
Succeeded byVatimi Rayalu
Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts
In office
25 September 2014 – 5 July 2017
Prime MinisterFrank Bainimarama
Preceded byFilipe Bole
Succeeded byAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for Fiji First List
In office
17 September 2014 – 26 January 2023
Personal details
BornNadi, Fiji
Political partyFiji First Party
SpouseBhunweshwari Reddy
ChildrenShivani Reddy Vishnava Reddy
ResidenceFiji

Dr. Mahendra Reddy is a Fijian politician and former Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He served as the Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment from 2017 to 2022.[1]

Reddy was an award-winning scholarship student at the University of the South Pacific and the University of Hawaii. He did his Master of Science Degree and PhD in Agriculture and Resource Economics on a Fulbright Scholarship on an East-West Centre Fellowship at the University of Hawaii. He taught Economics at the University of the South Pacific, becoming a Lecturer in Development Studies in 1998 and getting promoted to Senior lecturer in 2005. In 2007, he became the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics and Associate Professor of Economics. In 2008, he became the Head of the USP School of Economics before being transferred to the Fiji Institute of Technology in October as the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism Studies.[2]

In March 2009, he was appointed as the Chair of the Commerce Commission.[3] In July 2014, he resigned as Commerce Commission director and from the Reserve Bank of Fiji board chairman to join the FijiFirst party to contest in the elections.[4]

Reddy was elected to Parliament in the 2014 election, in which he won 5,398 votes.[5] He was appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Education, National Heritage, Culture and Arts in September 2014.[6]

On 4 July 2017 Reddy appeared in court on charges of bribery and using undue influence over allegations he offered a water supply to a school in exchange for the school manager's vote.[7] Due to this, he resigned from his post. However, in December 2017, due to no conclusive evidence, those charges were dropped,[8] and Reddy was appointed as the new minister for Ministry of Waterways.[9]

He was re-elected in the 2022 election with 2654 votes.[10][11] On 26 January 2023 Reddy resigned from Parliament.[12] He was replaced as an MP by Penioni Ravunawa.[13]

References

  1. ^ Fijivillage. "PM announces cabinet reshuffle, Faiyaz Koya sworn in as Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport". www.fijivillage.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  2. ^ "education". Retrieved 2015-02-21.
  3. ^ SINGH, MONIKA (2009-03-03). "Reddy meets Commission staff". Fiji Times. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ^ PANAPASA, GERALDINE (2014-07-28). "Academic resigns to join FijiFirst". Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  5. ^ "2014 Election Results". Fiji Elections Office. Archived from the original on 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
  6. ^ "20-member Cabinet announced". FBC. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
  7. ^ "Fiji education minister charged with bribery". Radio New Zealand. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Ruling: Reddy A Free Man". Fiji Sun. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  9. ^ "New waterways minister 'Reddy'". Fiji Times. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  10. ^ Singh, Indira (18 December 2022). "Top 55 confirmed". FBC. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Mahendra Reddy (192)". Fijian Elections Office. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  12. ^ Vijay Narayan (26 January 2023). "Dr Mahendra Reddy resigns from parliament". Fiji Village. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  13. ^ Talebula Kate (27 January 2023). "Opposition MP Dr Reddy resigns from parliament". Fiji Times. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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