Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta condemns move to shut down Sections in junior colleges

The State Government move to close down certain sections in Government –run junior colleges on the pretext of inadequate number of students is nothing but a prelude to closure of colleges themselves in the days to come, said the Lok Satta Party here today.

Addressing a media conference, party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma and Secretary P. Bhaskara Rao said the move was part of the Government design to privatize education and cover up its inefficiency.

It was strange the Government sought to shut down sections in junior colleges which provided higher education opportunities to poor, rural children even as it would not bother about engineering colleges which had sprouted to milk Government funds through the fee reimbursement scheme.

Mr. Varma said that the colleges would not go without students if it introduced job-oriented, short-term courses, improved infrastructure and appointed quality faculty.

The Lok Satta leaders welcomed the Anti Corruption Bureau inquiry into APIIC land deals with Emaar and other companies and demanded that special courts be set up to go into corruption cases against top officials and politicians.

Mr. Varma took exception to CPI leader K. Narayana’s call to people to hang the Prime Minister and burn leaders. Far from creating a revolution, such calls would undermine democracy. Leaders should try to elevate public discussion and not promote hatred and clashes to get publicity mileage.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - 17:06

Lok Satta to celebrate 4th anniversary

The Lok Satta Party will be celebrating its fourth anniversary for three days from October 3 all over the State and conducting general body meetings at all district and Assembly constituency headquarters. To mark the anniversary, the party’s general council will meet in Hyderabad on October 9. The party came into existence on October 2, 2006.

Party coordinators meeting at the party headquarters here today with Mr. D. V. V. S. Varma, Working President, in the chair took these decisions.

In a media statement, party General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao said the meeting discussed preparations for the municipal elections and appointed State party Working Committee members as in-charges for 50 ‘A’ Grade municipalities and 25 rural constituencies.

The party’s State Working Committee will meet on September 18 and 19.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 - 17:25

Stand by commitment on fee Reimbursement: Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party today demanded that the Government honor its commitment on fee reimbursement to all eligible students.

Talking to the media, party leader Katari Srinivasa Rao said that the Government has to ensure that no poor student is denied the opportunity to pursue higher education. It should exclude those who can afford to pay tuition fees from availing themselves of the scheme meant to benefit the poor.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao pointed out that certain unethical college managements have abused the ideal scheme and siphoned Government funds. The Government should without further delay initiate steps to recover the misappropriated funds and award exemplary punishment to the guilty.

The Lok Satta leader wanted the Government to give higher priority to school education as 90 percent of students do not enter colleges because poverty forces them to drop out even before they finish the tenth class. It is a tragedy that the Government is expected to spend only Rs.600 crore of the Rs.1800 crore it has to spend on sarva sikhsha abhiyan and madhyamika siksha abhiyan.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao reiterated the Lok Satta policy that no student should forgo the opportunity of higher education because of poverty. The Government could stand surety and facilitate bank loans if it runs into fund constraints in future because of the spread of higher education.

Monday, September 6, 2010 - 17:20

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