Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta demands allocation of mines on competitive bidding

The Lok Satta Party today demanded that the Government cancel all mining leases and allocate them afresh on international competitive bidding to save the polity from mining mafia and earn revenue for the cash-strapped Government.

Fresh mining lease agreements should earn the Government not only license fees but also a fair share of revenue. The Government should also arm itself with powers to tax windfall profits.

Talking to the media at the party headquarters, Lok Satta Party General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao made the demand in the context of the controversies surrounding exploitation of iron ore in Obulapuram of Anantapur district and in Bayyaram of Khammam district.

The Lok Satta leader said that successive State Governments had been leasing precious mines to parties in which they are interested without following any transparent policy. “A Government which pleads constraint of resources for funding Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and reimbursing student fees has no business to forgo revenue by handing over mines on a platter to select people. On the contrary, it is pauperizing the already poor people by promoting liquor consumption to maximize its revenue.”

The State Government can hit a jack-pot if it auctions the right to mine all minerals including iron ore, bauxite, barites and granite.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that those who minted astronomical sums of money by exploiting Government-leased mines have started dictating politics and posing a threat to democracy in States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Jarkhand.

He disclosed that Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan would soon be writing to the Prime Minister seeking a comprehensive review of the mining policy.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 17:37

Don’t succumb to money and Liquor: Lok Satta Party

The Lok Satta Party today appealed to voters in by-elections to exercise their franchise without succumbing to traditional party inducements like money and liquor. Twelve constituencies in Telanagana are going to polls tomorrow (July 27).

In a media statement, party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao and V. Vijayender Reddy said that contestant parties were deploying money and liquor in all the constituencies to influence voting. Quoting reports received by the party, they said, “It is happening even in Vemulawada constituency in Karimnagar district.” It may be recalled that all parties had backed the Lok Satta Party proposal against deployment of money and liquor in elections, during a discussion conducted by a TV channel.”

The ‘sara’ (sampradaya rajakeeya) parties did not respond to the State Wine Dealers’ Association offer to shut down liquor outlets all through the campaign period during the 2009 general elections because liquor was a weapon in their struggle to come to power, said the Lok Satta leaders.

They appealed to voters to cast their vote to the best of the candidates, without being lured by inducements.

Monday, July 26, 2010 - 16:25

Review liquor policy and save the State, Dr. JP Appeals to Rosaiah of freedom struggle era

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today demanded that the wise and experienced Chief Minister K. Rosaiah belonging to the freedom struggle era immediately review the liquor policy if he is not bent on making more and more women widows and more and more children orphans and perpetuating poverty and ill health.

Dr. JP rubbished the Government excuse that maximizing revenue from liquor sales is inevitable if it were to implement its plus Rs.100,000 crore budget in the interests of economic development and social welfare. The Government spent in all about Rs.15000 crore a year on welfare schemes like supply of essential commodities at subsidized rates, free power to farmers, student fee reimbursement, Arogyasri, housing and employment guarantee scheme. In contrast, poor people spent at least Rs.25000 crore on consumption of liquor, arrack and gudumba.

Dr. JP addressed a media conference after inaugurating a photo exhibition on the 16-day campaign launched by the Lok Satta, the Mahila Satta and Yuva Satta in 16 districts of the State for 16 days demanding that the Government restrict liquor consumption through a series of policy initiatives.

Dr. JP underlined that the Government need not necessarily fund its welfare schemes by falling back on sin money the liquor generates. It could augment its revenue by curbing monumental corruption and dropping all ill conceived schemes.

Dr. JP said Andhra Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of being the No. 1 State in India in liquor sales (Rs.100 crore a day) and having a Government that is wedded to maximizing revenue from liquor (Rs.18000 crore a year). It has had the privilege of honoring a dealer who bagged the license for a liquor shop for the highest amount of Rs.5.22 crore. He said he would not blame officials for the state of affairs since they merely carried out Government directives.

Dr. JP called upon people to revolt against Government’s liquor policy if the State were to be prevented from being turned into a graveyard. Women, youth and NGOs should strive to get the illegal belt shops and sitting rooms attached to licensed shops closed by forming village-level committees. Thereafter, they should demand that the Government provide them basic amenities like drinking water, health care and education and empower elected people’s elected representatives. The Lok Satta is prepared to train them in working for the all-round development of villages.

Mr. P. Suryachandra, Sarpanch of Burugupudi village in Kirlampudi mandal in East Godavari district pointed out that the Government went ahead with the opening of a liquor shop in his village, although the village panchayat, the gram sabha, the mandal parishad and 1200 women of the village had represented to the authorities against grant of license. Officials who promised to get the wine shop removed after he went on a fast for six days were yet to fulfill their promise.

Mr. Katari Srinivasa Rao, State party General Secretary, Mr. Dasari Ratnam, State Yuva Satta Secretary, and Mrs. M. Mahalaksmi, State Mahila Satta Vice President, who took part in the campaign against unbridled liquor consumption, said there are no villages without belt shops and no shops without sitting rooms in all the districts they visited. They noticed that some dealers ran many shops with one license and maintained sitting rooms as big as cinema halls. Most shops had the patronage of elected leaders.

Saturday, July 24, 2010 - 20:48

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