Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta warns of united movement against property tax hike

The Lok Satta Party is planning to launch a united, non-partisan movement against arbitrary increase in property tax in municipalities.

In-charges of Lok Satta municipal committees, who met at the party headquarters here today with party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma in the chair, felt that the tax increase ranging from 500 to 1000 percent without any improvement in citizen services contravenes the Government’s own Assessement of Taxes Rules, 1990.

Participants pointed out that special officers, now ruling civic bodies in the absence of elected representatives, raised the tax capriciously. They cited an instance in which the tax on an apartment was raised from Rs.3000 to Rs.80000.

Giving this information in a media statement, party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao and K. Omkar said that a Lok Satta Party team would visit municipal towns and cities in the first week of November to mobilize the public for an agitation. It would associate local chambers of commerce, ratepayers’ associations, resident welfare associations and other civic society representatives with the planned movement.

The party demands that the civic bodies improve their services in tune with the citizen’s charter and fix the property tax on a rational basis.

The Lok Satta Party would call for a ‘no-tax campaign’ if the authorities went ahead with the hike in the property tax without improving services concerning drinking water, sanitation, education, healthcare and roads. If the services are not commensurate with the tax paid, people can legitimately refuse to pay the tax, said Mr. Katari Srinivasa Rao.

Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 18:11

Beware of traditional parties’ youth mantra, Warns the Lok Satta Party

It is akin to the devil quoting the scripture, commented the Lok Satta Party on the TDP and Congress chanting the youth mantra these days.

In a media statement, Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma and General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao counseled the youth to be on their guard since the traditional parties are not sincere or serious of practicing what they preach. They pointed out that the traditional parties remembered the youth after the Lok Satta had announced that it would give party ticket to committed and competent youth to contest elections and lead the party, irrespective of their religion and caste, region and language, economic status and sex. They are trying to masquerade their dynastic politics by claiming to empower the youth.

TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu remembered the youth for the first time in nearly three decades when he said that he would give 30 percent of party tickets to them. That top TDP leaders are engaged in a dynastic battle is a public secret. Even if the TDP were to give 30 percent of party tickets youth, they would comprise sons and daughters, daughters-in-law or sons-in-law of TDP MLAs.

Similarly, State Congress President Botsa Satyanarayana, who had the dubious distinction of cornering all important positions in his home district for his kith and kin, was indulging in hyperbole when he claims to induct the youth into the party.

The Lok Satta leaders said both the State Congress and the TDP were trying to replicate the example of children succeeding their parents in Parliament in the name of making way for youth.

They demanded that the two traditional parties declare they would give party tickets to committed and competent youth, without reference to their political pedigree, and implement it in practice.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - 21:12

Dr. JP seeks age relaxation for SI recruitment

Lok Satta Party President has requested Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to concede the unemployed youth’s request for a one-time age relaxation for recruitment of sub-inspectors of police.

Dr. JP recalled that the SI recruitments were notified in 2008, but the written examination was held only in August 2011. For over three years, there has been no recruitment. Now there is a proposal to notify 2200 vacancies.

“The job-seekers are, therefore, seeking a one-time age relaxation to 28 years for OCs. I fully appreciate the concern of the Home Department that the quality of recruitment may suffer if excessive age relaxation is given. Also incentives in the job may diminish if selected candidates do not have long enough service remaining.

“However, given the conditions of unemployment prevailing, and the special circumstances that prevented recruitment of SIs for over three years,” Dr. JP requested the Chief Minister “to give a one-time age exemption for a suitable period.” He also wanted the Chief Minster to ensure that recruitments were completed annually on the basis of available or anticipated vacancies, particularly in critical departments.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - 21:10

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