Press Releases Archive

Let Ombudsmen deal with corruption In all Govt. schemes: Dr. JP

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan has urged Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to widen and deepen the ombudsmen mechanism to cover any instances of corruption and irregularities in all schemes at the local government level.

It may be recalled that the State Government in its order dated April 21 proposed appointment of ombudsmen at the district level to go into NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) irregularities.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Dr. JP pointed out that since around Rs.2000 crore a year is being spent directly at the district level under various Government schemes, ombudsmen powers must not be limited only to NREGS implementation but enlarged to cover any instances of corruption and irregularities in all schemes at the local government level.

Lok Satta Party spokespersons Mr. Katari Srinivasa Rao, Mr. V. Laxman Balaji, Mr. Eeda Chennaiah released Dr. JP’s letter at a media conference here today.

Dr. JP pointed out in his letter that the State Government order limits ombudsmen’s powers to inquire only into irregularities thrown up by NREGS social audit. “The scope of their powers must be expanded to enable them to take up and act upon complaints of corruption and maladministration against both elected members and officials at the local government level. This would enable them to lodge or take up complaints (suo motu) against erring parties, conduct investigations, initiate proceedings on any related grievance, and award and implement redressal, disciplinary and punitive actions against erring parties. Ombudsmen must be made autonomous and powerful to ensure that guilty elected public representatives and local government officials are removed from service and duly punished. “

Dr. JP suggested that persons of the rank of district judge and not first class judicial magistrate should be selected as district-level ombudsmen. Since the proposed sitting fee of Rs.500 a day for an ombudsman is too low, it would not attract talent. Since the ombudsmen will be monitoring and investigating complaints relating to all government schemes at district and sub-district levels, they should enjoy the status, rank, salary, allowances and privileges of a sitting judge.

Dr. JP called for eliminating the multiplicity of agencies dealing with wrongdoings of public servants and integrating the functional jurisdiction of various such agencies. To this extent, the district-level ombudsmen mechanism should be integrated at the State level, under an appropriate, independent framework.

Saturday, May 1, 2010 - 16:14

Lok Satta welcomes road map for Empowering local governments

The Lok Satta Party today welcomed the Union Government’s road map for empowering local governments through formation of district councils, reorganization of Legislative Councils with two-thirds representation to local governments and 50 percent reservations for women and rotation of their constituencies once in 10 years.

Talking to the media, party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, P. Bhaskara Rao, and Karthik Chandra wanted the Union Government to amend the Constitution providing for mandatory devolution of powers and resources on local governments by State Governments.

The Lok Satta Party suggested that the proposed district councils be empowered to work as district governments with jurisdiction over both rural and urban areas. The district collector should be re-designated as district council secretary.

The Lok Satta would like the Legislative Council to comprise only members elected by local governments. It was strange that the council provides representation to teachers and graduates even to this day.

The party reiterated its long-standing demand that a per capita grant of Rs.1000 should be made to every village, town, and city so that people-elected ward committees could utilize the funds for addressing people’s needs effectively.

The party also demanded creation of 1000 new towns in the State as a means to promote economic development and prevent migration of people from rural areas to far off urban centers in search of work and livelihood.

Friday, April 30, 2010 - 16:31

Lok Satta for expert team to review ‘Jalayagnam’ projects

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan has requested the Chief Minister to immediately constitute a team of independent experts drawn from outside Andhra Pradesh to comprehensively review all the projects taken up under ‘Jalayagnam’ and report within 90 days.

He suggested that Central Water Commission and global experts on water management can be involved in this exercise “to not only examine the viability of the projects, but also to propose alternative projects and approaches to fulfill our needs and to ensure economic viability, regional balance, and equity.”

“We should undertake such a review totally impartially, without any bias or prejudice on regional, political or partisan grounds entering into decision making,” said Dr. JP in a letter addressed to the Chief Minister.

Dr. JP said: “Right now, on account of the present and future financial burden of these large projects, the State is getting mired into a deep crisis, and posterity will not forgive us if we do not exercise due care and diligence in public expenditure, and in the discharge of the responsibilities entrusted to our care today.”

Dr. JP said that the State is now facing a financial crisis because of the cumulative impact of unbridled populism, reckless expenditure, unsustainable policies and political expediency notwithstanding the Chief Minister’s success in meeting FRBM targets in the last six years.

Dr. JP pointed out that although ‘Jalayagnam’ is a worthy program conceptually, “several reckless, costly, ineffective, unviable schemes have been taken up without proper analysis of costs and benefits. Alternatives have not been adequately explored. Capital cost is too high in several cases, sometimes running up to Rs.3 lakh per acre. The schemes will involve vast capital expenditure leading to a huge debt burden on the state and high servicing costs. Some of the schemes will be a permanent drain on the State exchequer and will severely aggravate power shortages, since they will need thousands of megawatts of power for lifting water to heights ranging from 500 feet to 1800 feet. Such large lifts over great heights of vast quantities of water were never contemplated even in the richest and most technologically-advanced countries as those nations understood that public money should be spent wisely and people should get the full benefit for every rupee spent. In our state, we have lost sight of elementary principles of managing public finances.”

“Now is the time to thoroughly and honestly review all these large projects before further expenditure is incurred. We should undertake such a review totally impartially, without any bias or prejudice on regional, political or partisan grounds entering into decision making.”

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 16:58

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