Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta demonstration Against liquor auctions

Lok Satta activists today staged a demonstration at the Secretariat protesting against the Government going ahead with liquor auctions on June 7.

Lok Satta leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, V. Laxman Balaji and P. Bhaskara Rao, Mahila Satta leaders N. Sarojadevi and S. Gajanani and Yuva Satta leaders Dasari Ratnam and P. Sivaji were among those who took part in the demonstration.

Talking to the media, Mr. Srinivasa Rao and Mrs. Sarojadevi pointed out that growing consumption of liquor disrupted the health and economy of large sections of people. The Union Health Ministry had indicated that States could be compensated if they lost revenue by restricting liquor consumption. Maintaining that it had not received any such proposal, the State Government was going ahead with liquor shop auctions. Dealers who obtained licenses promoted unauthorized liquor outlets to maximize sales and profits.

The Lok Satta leaders said that Ministers, MLAs and traditional party leaders too had joined the race to wrest liquor shops as they looked forward to lucrative business during local body elections.

Saturday, June 5, 2010 - 19:38

Ward committee election a Mockery: Lok Satta

Traditional parties have made a mockery of election to ward committees in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), charged the Lok Satta Party here today.

The Government contemplated constitution of ward committees to enable people in a ward to have a say in resolution of local problems. In the ideal situation, the committees should have been elected by local people. Instead, the Government opted for election of ward committee by all the members of the GHMC Council.

Talking to the media, party leaders V. Vijayender Reddy and Mrs. N. Sarojadevi said that the very system of election by all the municipal corporators was flawed. A corporator representing say Dilsukhnagar is incompetent to choose members of say the Kukatpally ward committee. As a result, the corporators, MLAs and MPs packed the ward committees with their nominees, throwing to winds the norms like choosing representatives of civic society organizations, women, and NGOs.

The party leaders pointed out that in contrast the Lok Satta proposed constitution of ward committees by election so that they could function as local governments in their wards. The Lok Satta even proposed a per capita grant of Rs.1000 to every ward so that the elected ward committee could utilize the money to resolve local problems.

The Lok Satta Party leaders referred to Mayor Kathika Reddy’s comment that spouses of all the woman 52 corporators were being present on the corporation premises and asked whether the elected women members had become the rubber stamps of their husbands.

Friday, June 4, 2010 - 18:58

Lok Satta organizes Anti Liquor demo

Lok Satta, Mahila Satta and Yuva Satta activists undertook a protest demonstration against liquor auctions and burnt a liquor evil effigy in front of the office of the Commissioner of Excise at Nampalli.

Talking to the media, party leaders V. Laxman Balaji and Mrs. Gajanani said that by conducting liquor auctions, the Government promoted proliferation of unauthorized outlets (belt shops) and encouraged liquor consumption. The Government realized more revenue on liquor sales than the amount it spent on welfare schemes. People will be spending nearly Rs.20,000 crore on liquor purchases and Rs.16900 crore on the associated healthcare costs in the new Excise Year, going by a NIMHANS study.

The Lok Satta leaders appealed to the Government to view liquor as a menace to society and not as a source of revenue and halt liquor shop auctions forthwith. It should strip the Excise Department of handling liquor and entrust it to the Department of Health as suggested by the Union Health Ministry. The Government should empower panchayats and women’s organizations to close down all illegal outlets.

Among those who took part in the protest demonstration were Mr. P. Bhaskara Rao, T. Srinivas, Mrs. N. Saojadevi, Mrs. S. Gajanani, Mr. P. Sivaji and Ms. Mangala.

Friday, June 4, 2010 - 18:55

Pages