Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta regrets violence

The Lok Satta Party today regretted that the innocent have been put to avoidable suffering following violence in Mahbubabad of Warangal district in the wake of Lok Sabha member Mr. Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy’s visit to Warangal district.

The Lok Satta Spokesman Mr. Katari Srinivasa Rao retiterated its stand that in a democracy every citizen is free to visit, live and work anywhere in the country. The attempt of separate Telangana agitators to disrupt Mr. Jaganmohana Reddy’s visit to Warangal district by resorting to violence is blatantly undemocratic.

The Lok Satta Party leader said that it was surprising that the police could not prevent protesters from assembling at the station.

The party also condemned the naxalites for causing the death of 65 and injuries to more than 200 people by triggering a train disaster.

Friday, May 28, 2010 - 18:28

Dr. JP Seeks NRI Help In Transforming India

India has the potential to become the second largest economy of the world accounting for 15 to 18 percent of the world’s GDP in the next 20 years, said Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan.

Addressing meetings organized by People for Lok Satta in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, Dr. JP recalled that India contributed 25 percent of the world’s GDP up to the beginning of the 18th century. As it missed the industrial revolution, India’s contribution plummeted to just one percent of the world’s GDP by 1991. Thanks to certain measures taken out of compulsion, and not conviction, it rose to two percent in 2010 when India is said to be ‘shining and rising.’

“India has today the potential for phenomenal growth because it has the technology and resources. It is, however, possible ibkt if we change our practices, institutions, and mechanisms in which we are deficient.”

Dr. JP sought the cooperation of NRIs in building institutions in India. “India needs your talent, leadership, commitment, and participation. You can take an Indian out of India but you can not take India out of an Indian.”

Loksatta Tamil Nadu President, Vijay Anand said that the most dangerous problem facing the nation today is the silence of the middle class with respect to its participation in the democratic process.

Dr. JP also addressed the student community at Stanford University where he was the keynote speaker for the Brainstorming India 2010 conference. Dr. JP and Vijay Anand took part in an intellectual discussion at Google headquarters in Mountain View.

Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 17:37

Lok Satta Turns To Human Rights Commission To Halt Liquor Shop Auctions

The Lok Satta Party today sought the State Human Rights Commission’s intervention in halting liquor shop auctions scheduled to begin in the first week of June.

Lok Satta leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao and V. Laxman Balaji, Mahila Satta leaders N. Sarojadevi and S. V. Gajanani and Yuva Satta leaders Dasari Ratnam and P. Sivaji made a representation to this effect to Justice Subhashan Reddy, Chairman, Human Rights Commission.

The leaders pointed out that dealers who obtained liquor shop licenses by paying astronomical amounts as bid money, sought to maximize their sales and revenue by opening unauthorized outlets. Although the Lok Satta Party repeatedly drew the Government’s attention to the havoc caused to people’s health and incomes because of growing liquor consumption, the Government chose not to act. In contrast, the Election Commission acted on the party’s plea and got the belt shops shut in just two weeks.

Quoting a NIMHANS survey for WHO, the party recalled that while the Government would earn a revenue of Rs.15000 crore on liquor sales during the Excise Year, the people would lose Rs.16900 crore by way of health care costs.

The State Government has also ignored the Union Health Ministry advice that the State Health Department be entrusted with the responsibility formulating a comprehensive liquor policy keeping people’s health in mind. The Excise Department, on the contrary, did not bother about people’s health since its interest lay in maximizing liquor revenue.

Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 17:35

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