Press Releases Archive

While welcoming the sanction of an Information Technology Investment Region to Hyderabad, the Lok Satta Party today cautioned against repeating the past mistake of concentrating all investments in Hyderabad city.

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan suggested that the projects proposed under the Investment Region be spread over three or four major centers of the three regions of the State keeping in mind regional imbalances, economic inequalities and political unrest.

The sanction of the Rs.2.19-lakh crore Investment Region by the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on September 20 will give a boost to Andhra Pradesh’s economy which in the recent past had suffered because of political uncertainty, said Dr. JP.

Dr. JP recalled that although the Union Government had in the past sanctioned two National Investment and Manufacturing Zones and a Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemicals Investment Region for Andhra Pradesh little progress has been made in their implementation. Grand announcements with a lot of fanfare have ended up in dashing the hopes of the young, unemployed in the State.

Pointing out that as many as 12 lakh students are graduating from colleges and universities in the State every year, Dr. JP said a massive effort has to be mounted to promote manufacturing and create jobs. It calls for formulation of comprehensive strategy and its immediate implementation.

Ultimately, employment creation and investments are a function of political stability and far-sighted leadership. Perpetual political unrest and law and order problems, mounting corruption in every facet of national life and decaying infrastructure especially in the power sector deter investments and job creation. All these problems have to be addressed on a war footing, Dr. JP added.

Even minor issues get blown into major crises because of leadership failures, said Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today.

Addressing a gathering after unveiling the national flag at the party headquarters to mark Hyderabad Liberation Day, Dr. JP recalled that leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel could integrate 562 provinces in the Indian Union peacefully within15 months. In contrast, today’s leadership has failed to address problems between people speaking the same language. Leaders in the post-Independence era facilitated linguistic reorganization of States even as countries like Canada, Belgium and Sri Lanka were wracked by conflicts among people speaking different languages.

Dr. JP pointed out that unlike leaders of the bygone era who worked for nation building and promoting harmony, today’s leaders are engaged in promoting their families and reaping electoral advantage by inciting animosities among people. A Lal Bahadur Shastri could persuade well-to-do people to fast for a day in a week and go to the succor of the hungry when the country faced a food crisis. In contrast, there is no leader today who can persuade people to shed their infatuation with gold at a time the country faced a current account deficit of 80 billion US dollars. Today’s leaders do not bother about addressing the current account deficit and improving the economy by facilitating export of food grains and promoting pulses and oil seeds production.

Dr. JP said that ritualistic celebration of days like August 15 and September 17 without imbibing the spirit of service, national outlook and dedication of leaders like Sardar Patel, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Moulana Azad will not help resolve today’s problems. The country today needs leaders who can harmonize conflicting interests, resolve problems amicably, promote economic development and inspire people to make sacrifices for a better future for their children.

Dr. JP hoped that celebration of September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day will inspire crisis-ridden Telugu speaking people to resolve their problems amicably.

Lok Satta Party leaders D. V. V. S. Varma, Bandaru Ramamohan Rao, Mrs. N. Saroja Devi, Eeda Chennayya, Mrs. K. Geeta Murthy, Dosapati Ramu were among those who took part in the event.